[Archived] Rovers' support sliding

[Mercer]

Many have said that supporters will protest with their feet.

Well they certainly seem to be doing that as the last 3 PL games have seen a decline in attendance of 22%:

Stoke last season 25,440, this season 20,615 -19%

Fulham last season 23,729 this season 18,003 -24%

Newcastle last season 26,787 this season 20,817 -22%

Total last 3 games last season 75,956 this season 59,435 -22%

Truly frightening and a likely foretaste of what's to come.

Soaring costs, falling income (shirt sponsorship, corporate lets, season tickets / walk ons, other commercial) - not difficult to understand where we find the club financially.

[Sysagent]

I blame the weather!

Not wanting to appear like a trembler 'n' all that...

[Mattyblue]

There seems to be around 500 less home fans attending week on week.

Next seasons ST sales are going to be horrific. This reign of terror will do terminal damage to our fanbase.

[den]

There seems to be around 500 less home fans attending week on week.

Next seasons ST sales are going to be horrific. This reign of terror will do terminal damage to our fanbase.

If Venky's and Kean are still here, I expect to see ST sales drop by quite a few thousand, whatever division we're in.

[onlyonejackwalker]

What do people expect? 9 home defeats from 12 matches played, scraping survival last season, marooned in the bottom three this season, no clean sheats from 26 matches, journeymen players being recruited, record breaking manager still in charge.

Devalue your product offering and you will lose custom.

[ctwilky]

The only way venkys will get rid of kean or maybe sell the club is by fans protesting with their wallets - no income will result in them restricting their product and lots of pressure from the bank/accountants can only be a good thing

What venkys don't think about is yes talking about a 5/10 year plan in the farming and exacution of chickens is fine - that may work... In football that's a different story especially in the premier league, u need to spend from the off, fans wanna see instant results because if u don't u find yourself in the mess we are in now... Yes a few good may see us survive another season but at the same time a few. Ore bad results could ensure an even bigger mountain than what we have to climb now

[chris]

no surprise, infact I thought it might have fallen more.

[booth]

The real protest as it's otherwise known.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

It's a surprise our support has held up so well to date but like Mercerman says the cracks are showing and quite frankly who can blame the fans with owners,manager and team as rank awful as this lot.

I doubt in all honesty if Ewood would be half full in the Championship if we take the drop,we would be on a par with Burnley gate wise possibly...

20 YEARS to get the crowds at a consistent level,just 12 months to destroy it Venky style.

[booth]

Normally I would say fickle fans but no one wants to see something they care about being trodden into the ground. This is a totally different situation than people staying away over a bad run.

[patrickvalery]

Many have said that supporters will protest with their feet.

Well they certainly seem to be doing that as the last 3 PL games have seen a decline in attendance of 22%:

Stoke last season 25,440, this season 20,615 -19%

Fulham last season 23,729 this season 18,003 -24%

Newcastle last season 26,787 this season 20,817 -22%

Total last 3 games last season 75,956 this season 59,435 -22%

Truly frightening and a likely foretaste of what's to come.

Soaring costs, falling income (shirt sponsorship, corporate lets, season tickets / walk ons, other commercial) - not difficult to understand where we find the club financially.

Nobody can afford to go.

They keep betting on your tips!!

[Brfcrule1]

sysagent got nothing to do with the cold the fact I have travelled up for rovers game against Nancy Lorraine december 2006 from London to blackburn and the past 3 winters for league games at ewood in freezing temperatures blows that theory out of the water.

Myself and others would happily travel up to ewood for games from far and wide but while these clowns continue to keep quiet while our club is run into the ground is hardly surprising attendances have dropped.

I noticed that as well last night while listening to the game on rovers player when I heard the attendance I thought the same attendances have massively dropped and I feel if we do drop down a division the slide will continue.

You can't really blame people and all that is needed to get fans back onside is to come to blackburn and tell us their plans for the club not asking much.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Surprising really because BFS has gone and we're not playing hoofball.

[jim mk2]

I'm surprised gates have declined because I was always informed by those in the know that under the previous manager whereas results were good the quality of the football was causing them to do other things on a Saturday aternoon such as go shopping with the wife. Now we have a manager who apparently plays good football but results are poor and the fans are staying away in increasing numbers. Please help me to understand this.

[BRFC95]

Please help me to understand this.

Jim, you're beyond help

[Rover_Shaun]

If you take in the previous two games the gates are also down (two of those were part of a 3 for £20 deal) you can see that the 'vote with your feet' protest started in earnest after the Bolton surrender

WBA last season 24057, this season 24057 5% down

Bolton last season 28985, this season 25570 12% down

[Bluefudge]

Maybe, just maybe and I'm going out on a limb...

It could be apathy or the fact we the supporters have become detached from the club?

No input, our voice is disregarded in the most vulgar way by the club.

Or it's cold?

[Sparky Marky]

Its been the way for years and years. Rovers fans don't riot, they just don't go. Nothing new.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

To be honest we hardly ever broke 20k when we had a top 6 team (2005/06). When Santa and Bentley were securing another top 10 finish in 2008 I dont think we regularly went anything higher than 23/24k on average. We've done very well over the last 2/3 seasons to average around 25k so its no surprise at all to see us struggle to get 20k in now.

[92er]

To be honest we hardly ever broke 20k when we had a top 6 team (2005/06). When Santa and Bentley were securing another top 10 finish in 2008 I dont think we regularly went anything higher than 23/24k on average. We've done very well over the last 2/3 seasons to average around 25k so its no surprise at all to see us struggle to get 20k in now.

2005/6 we averaged 21015.

2007/8 it was 23943

Supporters are expressing a fear that the decline in attendances is gaining its own momentum.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

To be honest we hardly ever broke 20k when we had a top 6 team (2005/06). When Santa and Bentley were securing another top 10 finish in 2008 I dont think we regularly went anything higher than 23/24k on average. We've done very well over the last 2/3 seasons to average around 25k so its no surprise at all to see us struggle to get 20k in now.

Will it be a surprise when we average 14k in the Championship next season though? And believe me that is highly, highly likely if we go down with VenKean still in charge and a possible rise in season ticket prices.

[Mr. E]

Will it be a surprise when we average 14k in the Championship next season though? And believe me that is highly, highly likely if we go down with VenKean still in charge and a possible rise in season ticket prices.

Oh if Venkys are still in charge anything over 10k will still be a lot. I mean, how many people are ready to give Venkys their hard earned money to continue sinking the club? Hopefully, though, they will leave before that, and there will be a reason for the fans to come back.

[RoyRover]

No doubt this would be spun some way, but the numbers don't lie. The recession and post Christmas have affected the numbers. But people who might be tight for cash in these times are without doubt thinking twice before spending big money on the family to go to a game and with the way that the club is being run and the position they are in, you can't blame them.

This would concern most owners, but since our owners haven't given a hoot about the fans since day one, I don't see them making any drastic changes because of this.

[thenodrog]

I'm surprised gates have declined because I was always informed by those in the know that under the previous manager whereas results were good the quality of the football was causing them to do other things on a Saturday aternoon such as go shopping with the wife. Now we have a manager who apparently plays good football but results are poor and the fans are staying away in increasing numbers. Please help me to understand this.

You'll have to ask those who sit around Gav on the bburn end for a detailed explanation.

Will it be a surprise when we average 14k in the Championship next season though? And believe me that is highly, highly likely if we go down with VenKean still in charge and a possible rise in season ticket prices.

My money is on no more than 11k if nothing changes. 7k the year after.

No doubt this would be spun some way, but the numbers don't lie. The recession and post Christmas have affected the numbers. But people who might be tight for cash in these times are without doubt thinking twice before spending big money on the family to go to a game and with the way that the club is being run and the position they are in, you can't blame them.

This would concern most owners, but since our owners haven't given a hoot about the fans since day one, I don't see them making any drastic changes because of this.

Care to speculate where attendances would be if there were no ST's and it was pay on the door only?

[Rover_Shaun]

Xmas to blame blah blah.

Ask yourself why ST holders are chosing not to go?

And contrary to belief they are not included in the attendance if they don't attend. Hence the use of the term attendance