[Archived] Pne. Early Ko 12.30

[Baz]

I work in Preston and have many Pne fans as friends. It doesn't mean I am a Pne fan myself. Some very good and interesting comments on here tonight. For the record I don't think there is much difference between the support at all the clubs in Lancashire that have been mentioned. It depends on success on the pitch at the end of the day.

Not a denial then?

[tomphil]

I work in Preston and have many Pne fans as friends. It doesn't mean I am a Pne fan myself. Some very good and interesting comments on here tonight. For the record I don't think there is much difference between the support at all the clubs in Lancashire that have been mentioned. It depends on success on the pitch at the end of the day.

Agree on that, when push comes to shove we've all got a similar sized real hardcore and we've all got a limited potential in crowd terms because of the size and proximity of the towns/city/village (Burnley)

If we all sat in the middle of the same division going nowhere for ten years under similar owner circumstances and feelings around the clubs then that would be the only way to construct a proper argument who is allegedly the best supported. IMO there wouldn't be much more than a fag paper between any of us.

[Hasta]

Pne were still very well supported when floundering around in the lower divisions. I started watching football in 1987. At the time rovers were in the old second division (now known as the championship) and Pne were in the old 4th division (now known as league 2). Pne had finished second from bottom of the 4th division in 1986 and had to apply for re election to the football league. Pnes average attendance the year after, in 1987, was over 8,000. Rovers average attendance that same season was about 5 or 6,000. The rest is history. Success on the pitch and nice new stands attracts more fans. Pne didn't like to see rovers turn into a "big club" virtually overnight. Despite this, a large number of pne fans (and Burnley fans for that matter) stayed loyal to their clubs during those very dark days for our "traditional" local rivals (and similar sized clubs) as rovers. Rovers of course went from strength to strength (until the relatively recent nose-dive) and the gates kept going up as the gates at Ewood went up and man it'd etc became the new rivals. I happen to know a lot of Preston fans and I still work in the city. What gets a lot of their fans backs up about rovers is that they are of the opinion rovers bought the title and not only that, but that they "stole" a lot of fans from the Preston area (from the city itself and from what they believe to be their catchment area). That's why they call rovers "the plastics". I am aware that rovers did indeed deliberately target school children in the Preston area for example with visits from players to schools, free coach travel for children to Ewood with free packed lunches, cheap match day deals, advertising on local buses, in newspapers and on radio stations, etc. And Rovers even played their reserve games at deepdale for a while too, and this really rubbed their noses in it. All this means it should be a good atmosphere next week. I believe they have sold out their 7,000 allocation. Fair play to them. Hope it's a good day out for them.

Hmm. Preston did indeed average 8000 in 1987 when they finished second and achieved promotion.

The two seasons before that they averaged under 4000 when they were crap. A full 100% increase in attendance just because they were successful.

Try and find an instance when rovers attendance has 'doubled' just because they were successful or promoted.

Plastics. Lol

[Mattyblue]

Funny how working with a load of Preston fans makes Truefan have a soft spot for them, I work in an office with quite a few of them and I can't stand the bitter fools.

They talk a load of tripe when it comes to Rovers and need correcting, doubt 'Truefan' stands up for the club.

[Truefan]

Of course I do. I actually feel a bit sorry for them if truth be known. They are the only club in Lancashire (ourselves, Burnley, Bolton, Wigan, Blackpool etc) who have never been in the premiership. Let alone win it.

[Stuart]

Like I say, I know a lot of Pne fans and their main gripe with rovers is quite simple really. It's the fans who used to be Pne fans and then changed their allegiances. That's what gets to them. The way Pne fans see it, rovers DID change virtually overnight.. One minute Pne fans were putting money into buckets to help fund the new stand at Ewood, and the next minute the club had millions of pounds invested and became champions of England (with one of the best modern stadiums and facilities in the country). There has been and always will be Man Utd and Liverpool fans in Preston (as there are in Blackburn and any other town). To a certain extent that is why it is reluctantly accepted.. But what happened with rovers still hurts them. A lot. It annoyed them that Pne fans from Preston and the Preston area suddenly ditched their Pne season tickets and swapped them for season tickets at Ewood. EVERY club which is successful will attract this type of fan. Pne would if they were successful! But the fact that there was hardly a rovers shirt to be seen in Preston one minute, and suddenly loads of rovers shirts all over the place in the preston area the next minute, (and in such a short space of time) is why, so I am told, rovers fans ended up with the name "plastics"..

Thought you might find my inside knowledge interesting?! I won't bother if you would prefer me not to? I am very excited about this match and have quite a few pints riding on the outcome..

Sounds like your gripe should be with the turncoats from within your of 'city' walls rather than BRFC itself.

Personally I feel nothing from PNE. No hatred, no admiration, no local affiliation. If it was you lot against a Southern club I'd be rooting for you - something I wouldn't say about Bumley. But other than that, it's a benign fixture. I'll enjoy beating you just as much as when we beat any other team, no more, no less, you may as well be Charlton South End.

Enjoy your day out, I expect it'll be like a trip to Wembley for you without the long coach ride. Big stadium, party atmosphere, milling with opposition fans (fans from Preston are always welcome at Ewood ), thousands of "true fans" (for the day) with their United, Liverpool and West Ham shirts and scarves tucked away for the day.

Funny how working with a load of Preston fans makes Truefan have a soft spot for them, I work in an office with quite a few of them and I can't stand the bitter fools.

They talk a load of tripe when it comes to Rovers and need correcting, doubt 'Truefan' stands up for the club.

True fan is a Rovers fan????

:lol:

[Mattyblue]

Ha thought I'd play along, though his name is a bit of a give away.

Funny things rivalries, before my current job, I didn't know a single Preston fan, so like you I couldn't give a toss. My dad however, worked with them for years and could never stand them.

And now I know why...

[Stuart]

Ha thought I'd play along, though his name is a bit of a give away.

Funny things rivalries, before my current job, I didn't know a single Preston fan, so like you I couldn't give a toss. My dad however, worked with them for years and could never stand them.

And now I know why...

The ironic thing is that he probably isn't a PNE fan (not as his "main team" anyway) but he'll be a bleached-in-the-wool lilywhite next week.

[ABBEY]

.true fan a rover ? Me thinks not

[mhead]

The answer is for Trevor Hemmings to do the same as Uncle Jack did.....but he has not and will not!

Not our problem. Happy Easter.

[den]

The problem was that Preston (and Burnley) fans never accepted that they were a second tier club to rovers. Not the ones that stayed loyal to their team anyway!! Ha ha

Well if we're talking facts here - which there seems to be an attempt to with the attendances - then Northend in my lifetime of watching rovers, have spent possibly 95% of their time below rovers in the league. Check some more facts as well........ Your/their gates have followed the same pattern. The idea that north ends following has stood up at around 8000 during the bad times isn't so. Their gates collapsed drastically to nowhere near averaging 8000.

Who's told you all that rubbish?

[ABBEY]

Easy and they expect 3 points is there delusional viewpoint yesterday and most ever away away fans ewood as EVER seen .

[had.e.nuff]

Well if we're talking facts here - which there seems to be an attempt to with the attendances - then Northend in my lifetime of watching rovers, have spent possibly 95% of their time below rovers in the league. Check some more facts as well........ Your/their gates have followed the same pattern. The idea that north ends following has stood up at around 8000 during the bad times isn't so. Their gates collapsed drastically to nowhere near averaging 8000.

Who's told you all that rubbish?

I think their gate slipped below 4.000 in the 80`s and in the last 40 years their average gate have only been better than ours twice 79 and 87 I use to work with a few deluded PNE fans who always claimed massive support big city club.

[tomphil]

The answer is for Trevor Hemmings to do the same as Uncle Jack did.....but he has not and will not!

Not our problem. Happy Easter.

He won't do because he's a Charlton Athletic fan for some reason and whatever reason he has his fingers in North End isn't footballing for sure. If he puts his cash anywhere it should be Chorley Fc to grow them into a proper club, no doubt there'll be a good few diehard Chorleyites swerving them next Sat to throw their weight behind the Nobbers on the big day out at Ewood.

[Truefan]

I am a true a fan - as much as anyone else on here. I don't hate Pne. I don't hate Burnley. The Pne fans i know are good genuine people. They have never hated rovers. Ok I admit they call the fans who "turned" to support rovers in the glory days as "plastics". But as far as I know they dont refer to Blackburn fans from Blackburn as plastics - just Blackburn fans from Preston (and/or from an area with a PR postcode, etc). Apparently a third of rovers support comes from areas with a PR postcode.. That's what I am told anyway. No idea if it is true or not (or how they could even know). And more to the point in not even sure what point it is supposed to prove anyway! Oh and for the record, I am not a plastic. I am a true fan. Hence my user name. We will never know who would be the best supported club under identical circumstances. Rovers have always been above Pne in the league for as long as I can remember.

[VinjayV4]

Its not like he's put no money in and its probably kept them stable. He has the right to put in as much as he wants. This isn't a case with a bunch of trustees neglecting direct wishes and a greedy family doing nothing about it. Its his own choice. I can understand why Preston fans might be a little disappointed he hasn't done more but if Jack had cut funding (and he certainly would have had no choice to lessen ambitions if he had been around when Abramovich bought Chelsea) I certainly wouldn't have been abusive towards him. I think Jack's reaction would have been to look for an "Abramovich" type and Williams certainly said that's what the club was hoping for.

I've never really known any fans of the other Lancashire clubs (and I mean modern Lancashire) especially during childhood so that is a significant reason for my personal disinterest in all of them.

[ABBEY]

I am a true a fan - as much as anyone else on here. I don't hate Pne. I don't hate Burnley. The Pne fans i know are good genuine people. They have never hated rovers. Ok I admit they call the fans who "turned" to support rovers in the glory days as "plastics". But as far as I know they dont refer to Blackburn fans from Blackburn as plastics - just Blackburn fans from Preston (and/or from an area with a PR postcode, etc). Apparently a third of rovers support comes from areas with a PR postcode.. That's what I am told anyway. No idea if it is true or not (or how they could even know). And more to the point in not even sure what point it is supposed to prove anyway! Oh and for the record, I am not a plastic. I am a true fan. Hence my user name. We will never know who would be the best supported club under identical circumstances. Rovers have always been above Pne in the league for as long as I can remember.

You doth protest to much amigo

[Stuart]

You doth protest to much amigo

Only people who refer to us as 'Blackburn fans' rather than 'Rovers fans' are fans of other clubs. It's either a youngster or a WUM.

[Ribble Rover]

If he puts his cash anywhere it should be Chorley Fc to grow them into a proper club, no doubt there'll be a good few diehard Chorleyites swerving them next Sat to throw their weight behind the Nobbers on the big day out at Ewood.

Aye, they can start with the pitch. My 11 year old played a final there on Thursday and he said it was the worst pitch he's played on all season. Maybe start with a roller. Perhaps it suits the kick and run merchants at VIctory Park.

[tomphil]

Aye, they can start with the pitch. My 11 year old played a final there on Thursday and he said it was the worst pitch he's played on all season. Maybe start with a roller. Perhaps it suits the kick and run merchants at VIctory Park.

Well I think they had to raise the cash for a new roof at one end themselves so Trevor isn't much of a godfather. Nee interest in football really I don't think, it's all about the gee gees.

[VinjayV4]

Well I think they had to raise the cash for a new roof at one end themselves so Trevor isn't much of a godfather. Nee interest in football really I don't think, it's all about the gee gees.

I'm sure he lives on the Isle of Man like Eddie Davies. Can someone state the tax laws there compared to Jersey as I can't be bothered looking it up. Davies has been accused of using Bolton Wanderers as a tax writeoff. The IOM is certainly convenient for offshore gambling laws (certainly pokerstars which includes sports gambling now though people may have differing opinions on whether poker is gambling) but presumably its not quite at the Jersey tax level? As we know Jack certainly didn't use Rovers for any tax writeoff purposes.

[yoda]

I'm sure he lives on the Isle of Man like Eddie Davies. Can someone state the tax laws there compared to Jersey as I can't be bothered looking it up. Davies has been accused of using Bolton Wanderers as a tax writeoff. The IOM is certainly convenient for offshore gambling laws (certainly pokerstars which includes sports gambling now though people may have differing opinions on whether poker is gambling) but presumably its not quite at the Jersey tax level? As we know Jack certainly didn't use Rovers for any tax writeoff purposes.

Is that the Royal we ?

and how would you know for sure ?

[VinjayV4]

Is that the Royal we ?

and how would you know for sure ?

Because Jack was 100% tax exile since the 70's when he moved to Jersey. I think there might be some tax advantages in the IOM but probably at a lesser level with the Davies accusations.

[yoda]

Because Jack was 100% tax exile since the 70's when he moved to Jersey. I think there might be some tax advantages in the IOM but probably at a lesser level with the Davies accusations.

I admit it was a tough question so not really surprised you don't know.

I know I don't know and would be slightly disappointed if no tax advantages were not gained by owning a loss making enterprise in a different country of domicile

[AllRoverAsia]

Jersey and the Isle of Man are both well established offshore financial centres of high repute.........well at least these days with all the US driven check-up on your neighbour legislation in force and increasing.

Jersey is just much more selective as to whom they let in, hence Uncle Jack went to Jersey.

The rest you can read up on.