[Archived] BRFC vs. Chelsea Protest Details

[Emge]

Bought my flight over from Dublin for the Chelsea game today. It's too much to bear to see you all protesting against these imbeciles and not be there.

I distributed the KEAN OUT flyers with his grinning face on them for the Arsenal game - will happily do it again. This time I was thinking about printing 1,000 or so flyers with the altered Venky's logo and the word LIARS in bold. Simple and to the point.

This is a fantastic idea, I like the simplicity of it. You have to do that!

[Ossydave]

The protest in current format are not working at all.

We should clap the players out at the start and show our support for 2 minutes or so.

Then have a mass walk-out to the concourses to watch the remainder of the half in the concourse.

Come back out for the 2nd half and repeat this process, coming back up at full time to applaud the players, then go to town on Kean.

At least we can still watch the majority of the game then, albeit on a TV screen (for those who can actually bear to watch)

[Mercer]

I was sat right next to Kean for this match and at the end of half time two fans in front of me pointed out that with no presence up front we were inviting trouble. As this is being said a member of staff, short one in a red jacket don't know what he does, comes up to then and starts squaring up. There was a heated argument with the member of staff claiming we wanted the team to lose,we were crap fans, don't bother coming next week then he generalised and said all fans wanted Sam gone and you get what you ask for in terms of Kean. The argument ended with the guy saying ill love it when we win and an elderly fan saying should we take this outside. Couple of stewards come over and ask us to calm down but acknowleged he was out of order and the main culprit.

At full time when the players were coming off again he comes over giving it out, swearing and looking for a fight. He gets dragged away by a head steward but the argument continues with insults flying back and forth. When a comment is made that "If you stopped arguing and concentrated on the matches maybe we woulnd't be rock bottom" and tries to come up the stairs to have a fight with a teenager.

This sort of behaviour by officals at the club and the fact no other player or member of staff came to break it up sums up my feelings of dejection. Coupled with the drowning out of protestors with music on Sunday I am left facing the question "Where is the club I supported for all these years!!"

Glen & co - can you make something of this ?

[brian_gallagher85]

It's stuff like this that has me never wanting to step foot in Ewood ever again. Coupled with the SS style searches prior to the Spurs game the club is becoming so far removed from the fans it's untrue!

[roversmum]

Glen & co - can you make something of this ?

I didn't see any of it, neither did Mr R and we were pretty close to where it was alleged to have taken place.

[cmb211087]

Yet more than one person has confirmed it happened. Interesting.

[Plastic Head]

Tried to spot Glenn tonight to commend him for his continued efforts but couldn't, Maybe he boycotted??

My view is that we should be going for Venky's big time. They have destroyed a proud and well run club in a matter of months.

Also I think the Fans Forum should disband. You will simply be used as propaganda puppets by the Indian enemy. I hate to tell anyone what they should or should not do but I think you are running the risk of becoming a pariah amongst your own teams fans and I don't think any fans should engage with them at all as they obviously hold us in utter contempt.

Venkys seemingly have NO redeeming features (a bit like a Dalek...)

Being run from 10000 miles away by a woman who has chalked a cue on her forehead is not a recipe for success and never will be.

The least they could do is to take good advice from people who KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT FOOTBALL.

The attendances next season will be shocking. We need to act now while there are still some of us left.

Anything goes as far as I'm concerned as long as it doesn't bring other fans safety into question.

My banner will say "Venkys tastes like ####"

Hope they come to the Chelsea game but guarantee they will bottle it.

[roversmum]

Yet more than one person has confirmed it happened. Interesting.

The only thing I can recall was a man pushed past us seemed rather upset and went to get a steward gesturing behind him - I thought there were some newcastle fans behind him or something, could it have been something to do with that? The steward didn't seem to do anything. There were a few youngsters (pre-teen I thought) down by the front of the dugout (which is usual at half time or near the end of a match), I saw Paul Clement look at them but didn't see anything else. I noticed two older teenagers in the row behind us - row five, right by the dugout but if something had happened there I wouldn't have seen it as it was behind us - seems likely having re-read the post, that they were the youngsters involved perhaps? I was assuming the incident was lower down.

There are occasional altercations in that area, sometimes the fans take it upon themselves to insult the players but it doesn't usually come to anything.

[perthblue02]

Now we have won a game and everything is rosey in the Ewood garden, Steve Kean is the new Bill Shankley The Rao's are the most honest greatest benefactor's in the world, and Agent/owner Anderson donates all his profits to starving babies in Africa I feel it's a bit unfair that everything at the Chelsea game should be anti venky's and anti Kean , so for everybody like me who has seen the light and is totally behind the exit stategy plan , I've created a poster that you can print off , a bit more colourful than the white surrender flags and to show you are fully behind the lovely Venkster's.

[Blueboy Downunder]

so that the players know that we are always fully behind them, may i suggest.....singing our hearts out for each and every one of them, by name, through the first half and then in the second half the fans turn their attentions to that plank kean and whoever else thinks he has done a sterling job and should stay.

or, and maybe this is too late now, but......can we get a big banner organised to show during the first half warm up just before kick-off and up to half time aswell.

something straight to the point in that "we love our players"....i know it sounds daft, but just so that it reinforces the feeling from the fans that this is not about the lads.

[Kenwoo]

Wouldn't it be apt to play on the current 'Occupy' protests going on worldwide. 'OCCUPY EWOOD- we are the 99%'

[riggers77]

I hope I am wrong but I get the feeling today that a fortunate cup win in a 2/3rds empty stadium has just broke the back of the campaign. It just shows to me how fickle some fans are and how their addiction is that embedded that they cant maintain a pragmatic approach no matter how much they might want to.

That is not a dig at anyone it is perhaps a sociological reflection and is really the reason why Venkys and Kean will do what they want.

[m0r94n]

I hope I am wrong but I get the feeling today that a fortunate cup win in a 2/3rds empty stadium has just broke the back of the campaign. It just shows to me how fickle some fans are and how their addiction is that embedded that they cant maintain a pragmatic approach no matter how much they might want to.

That is not a dig at anyone it is perhaps a sociological reflection and is really the reason why Venkys and Kean will do what they want.

Spot on. I keep an Eye on the Supporters Group on Facebook and the amount of people that after the win were suddenly defending Kean was staggering.

Though strangely a number of those comments have now disappeared.

[glen9mullan]

I hope I am wrong but I get the feeling today that a fortunate cup win in a 2/3rds empty stadium has just broke the back of the campaign. It just shows to me how fickle some fans are and how their addiction is that embedded that they cant maintain a pragmatic approach no matter how much they might want to.

That is not a dig at anyone it is perhaps a sociological reflection and is really the reason why Venkys and Kean will do what they want.

Certainly not, We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the next protest, and I have been mad busy all week talking to various people i.e Councillors, Sponsors, the club and the other organisors. There was no protest last night as a cup game has no relevance (Just ask the Birmingham City Supporters) Most people boycotted last nights match with a hokme crowd of just over 6000.

Paul Hunt also telephoned me last night as the quest for greater communication continues.

We are going full hog and turning the heat up, and the only reason I have not posted too much on the fine details yet, is we need to ensure that we don't have the goal posts moved at the eleventh hour, like we have on the 3 previous protest.

Rest assured we are working our socks off and at times upto 20 hours a day to ensure the supporters remain the heartbeat of this club.

I won't comment too much on last nights game, but I'm pleased we went through, butb tactical Naivety showed again with Steve Kean doing his best to throw a game which was in the bag. Thats 15 matches without a clean sheet and another 3 goals conceded at fortress Ewood, We had lots of luckk last night, but also some good performances. In addition our players had to play another 30 minutes which is not best preperation for a trick ficture on Saturday

However the league cup is of no importance, we are bottom of the league and that must be remain priority

[riggers77]

Certainly not, We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the next protest, and I have been mad busy all week talking to various people i.e Councillors, Sponsors, the club and the other organisors. There was no protest last night as a cup game has no relevance (Just ask the Birmingham City Supporters) Most people boycotted last nights match with a hokme crowd of just over 6000.

Paul Hunt also telephoned me last night as the quest for greater communication continues.

We are going full hog and turning the heat up, and the only reason I have not posted too much on the fine details yet, is we need to ensure that we don't have the goal posts moved at the eleventh hour, like we have on the 3 previous protest.

Rest assured we are working our socks off and at times upto 20 hours a day to ensure the supporters remain the heartbeat of this club.

I won't comment too much on last nights game, but I'm pleased we went through, butb tactical Naivety showed again with Steve Kean doing his best to throw a game which was in the bag. Thats 15 matches without a clean sheet and another 3 goals conceded at fortress Ewood, We had lots of luckk last night, but also some good performances. In addition our players had to play another 30 minutes which is not best preperation for a trick ficture on Saturday

However the league cup is of no importance, we are bottom of the league and that must be remain priority

Thats great i wasnt suggesting you had stopped with your good work. Just had that niggly feeling that some of the supporters are ready to submit.

Keep up the good work.

[Ozz]

Rest assured we are working our socks off and at times upto 20 hours a day to ensure the supporters remain the heartbeat of this club.

Don't you have a day job to attend Glen?

[glen9mullan]

Don't you have a day job to attend Glen?

Currently recovering from a broken ankle Ozz so its freed up some time for me :-)

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Norwich on Saturday should be the key decision maker in all of this.

If we win it, in ground protests will not gather any momentum unless we are 3 down (not inconceivable).

Should we lose and be firmly rooted to the bottom I think any goodwill gained with the masses will disappear as quickly as it came.

Sit back and see how it pans out IMO.

*keep up the good work Glen*

[Gav]

However the league cup is of no importance, we are bottom of the league and that must be remain priority

Sorry Glen but that comment is complete and utter bunkum, the league cup is very important, not as important as the league, but still very important.

The league cup win under Souness will remain a highlight of my 40yrs watching Rovers, and the European games are almost as good.

A pat on the back for the protest stuff, I wish more people would support you.

[Ricky]

I'm sure the league cup win was also a highlight as it was the first time you ever had the pleasure of meeting me as well Gav

[Mattyblue]

Norwich on Saturday should be the key decision maker in all of this.

If we win it, in ground protests will not gather any momentum unless we are 3 down (not inconceivable).

Should we lose and be firmly rooted to the bottom I think any goodwill gained with the masses will disappear as quickly as it came.

Sit back and see how it pans out IMO.

*keep up the good work Glen*

Exactly how I see it.

What we all need to remember is that there are a hell of a lot of matchgoers who do not take kindly to this kind of thing (even though most of them agree that Kean has been a failure).

So for as long as we are still in the game, any protest will cause serious kick offs in the stands.

[BiggusLaddus]

Absolutely agree Gav. That year under Souness we were involved in the relegation fight until after the Cardiff win, when we started climbing the table.

I wasn't there at Anfield in 1995, so that league cup win is the only time I have ever been able to watch my team win a trophy and it is my personal highlight as a Rovers fan.

[glen9mullan]

Sorry Glen but that comment is complete and utter bunkum, the league cup is very important, not as important as the league, but still very important.

The league cup win under Souness will remain a highlight of my 40yrs watching Rovers, and the European games are almost as good.

A pat on the back for the protest stuff, I wish more people would support you.

I'm also proud of our league cup Triumph and was there when we won it, as I was when we won the full members cup too, I was also there when we beat Leicester in the Play-off final, whilst also being at Selhurst Park when we through away our promotion chance. However Birmingham, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough in recent years show that a cup run can prove a major distraction on the ultimate goal, which is retaining our Premiership status. West Ham also had a memorable cup run last season and it was the cup successes that kept Avram Grant in a job before they suffered relegation.

I hope we can go all the way in the league cup and the FA Cup, but if that is at the cost of our Premiership status then I would rather decline a trip to Wembley.

We have now won nearly as many cup games under Steve Kean than we have league games, and that cup form to date has not brought about League wins

[Parsonblue]

I won't comment too much on last nights game, but I'm pleased we went through, butb tactical Naivety showed again with Steve Kean doing his best to throw a game which was in the bag. Thats 15 matches without a clean sheet and another 3 goals conceded at fortress Ewood, We had lots of luckk last night, but also some good performances. In addition our players had to play another 30 minutes which is not best preperation for a trick ficture on Saturday

However the league cup is of no importance, we are bottom of the league and that must be remain priority

I dislike the manager as much as anyone but his substitutions were spot on last night in my opinion. Our midfield failed to close a player down some 25 yards from goal for their first and the second was a foul by Samba which resulted in a goal from an excellent free-kick. I didn't see Kean rush on the field to give the foul away, I thought it was Samba.

I'll give stick to the manager as much as anyone when he deserves it but I honestly don't believe he did last night. The players were totally committed and he certainly lifted them for extra time.

When I go to Norwich on Saturday I'll judge the manager on the performance of the team. If we play well and win I'll be happy. Sadly, I'm not convinced that all Rovers fans will be happy to see a decent result on Saturday and that, for me, is the saddest part of all this.

[John]

Same, I am not a big fan of the manager for many reasons - however, if we can start to win a sufficient amount of football matches, I will be relatively happy.