Blackburn Rovers Women

[A Northern Horde...]

Project downsize continues unabated. 

This is to be our future or whatever will remain of it.

[JHRover]

2 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

I wouldn’t be completely surprised if he gets a percentage of any savings he makes.

I'm convinced of it, I'm sure the only reason the Indians agreed to employ him was on the basis he would ultimately pay for himself with savings made.

[BigHoz]

Surprise surprise, phase 1 season tickets end and they start to piss the fan base off again. 

[Exiled_Rover]

20 minutes ago, BigHoz said:

Surprise surprise, phase 1 season tickets end and they start to piss the fan base off again. 

[...]

[47er]

Read comments on the LT chat site yesterday. There were about 10 comments on this development and all of them approved it as a sensible decision! Losing money, low crowds etc.

[alex l]

13 minutes ago, 47er said:

Read comments on the LT chat site yesterday. There were about 10 comments on this development and all of them approved it as a sensible decision! Losing money, low crowds etc.

Ah in that case let's take the men's team to semi-pro too. 

The other common response seems to be "did you ever watch the women's team", in which case let's reduce our youth teams and under 23s as well. 

[JHRover]

It makes financial sense to shut the whole thing down and put houses on Ewood and Brockhall. 

I'm interested as to why some seem to think it is ok to slash in some areas because it saves money but stop short of going the whole hog.

Basically it's because "I'm alright Jack" as long as there's a men's team at a reasonable level every other Saturday at Ewood nothing else bothers them.

Be careful though...the same excuses and reasons for this could easily be transferred elsewhere to justify what they are up to.

[Mattyblue]

The owners have absolutely no interest in Blackburn Rovers, none - the history, the heritage, the drive to operate at the very highest level they can, the 'community' of a football club half way round the world they haven't even bothered gracing with their presence for a decade, means what to them? So using the justification of yesterday; 

By transitioning into a lower tier, the club can continue to support competitive football in a structure that is community-based and financially viable

In their minds why not for the club as a whole? 

[47er]

27 minutes ago, JHRover said:

It makes financial sense to shut the whole thing down and put houses on Ewood and Brockhall. 

I'm interested as to why some seem to think it is ok to slash in some areas because it saves money but stop short of going the whole hog.

Basically it's because "I'm alright Jack" as long as there's a men's team at a reasonable level every other Saturday at Ewood nothing else bothers them.

Be careful though...the same excuses and reasons for this could easily be transferred elsewhere to justify what they are up to.

Surely they'll shut the whole thing down anyway---intentionally or otherwise? if they stay that is.

I can't begin to imagine what the Club will look like after anther 15 seasons of their tender care.

We'll be in Div 2 by then or out of the League altogether.

 

[Bronzed A Donis]

38 minutes ago, JHRover said:

It makes financial sense to shut the whole thing down and put houses on Ewood and Brockhall. 

I'm interested as to why some seem to think it is ok to slash in some areas because it saves money but stop short of going the whole hog.

Basically it's because "I'm alright Jack" as long as there's a men's team at a reasonable level every other Saturday at Ewood nothing else bothers them.

Be careful though...the same excuses and reasons for this could easily be transferred elsewhere to justify what they are up to.

So true.  Remember how many people on Facebook, twitter, LET were applauding the club for trying that very thing with the whole training ground palava , all under 1 (smaller) roof approach. How anyone can claim to be a Rovers fan when they will blindly defend and advocate things like that.

Edited 20 hours ago by Bronzed A Donis
Typo

[lraC]

7 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

The owners have absolutely no interest in Blackburn Rovers, none - the history, the heritage, the drive to operate at the very highest level they can, the 'community' of a football club half way round the world they haven't even bothered gracing with their presence for a decade, means what to them? So using the justification of yesterday; 

By transitioning into a lower tier, the club can continue to support competitive football in a structure that is community-based and financially viable

In their minds why not for the club as a whole? 

It has already been pointed out by Rudy Gestede, that we should be very grateful to our owners that we have a team to support every other week.

Hard to understand how we managed without them for 135 years really.

[Mattyblue]

Thank god for the NIMBYs of the Ribble Valley taking a stand against the housing plan … as our fanbase wouldn’t have.

Edited 20 hours ago by Mattyblue

[Waggy76]

1 hour ago, 47er said:

Surely they'll shut the whole thing down anyway---intentionally or otherwise? if they stay that is.

I can't begin to imagine what the Club will look like after anther 15 seasons of their tender care.

We'll be in Div 2 by then or out of the League altogether.

 

If they continue to be in charge for another 5 years, we will be in the National League making the numbers up. 

Personally, I think they will be gone in 18 months, blind optimism possibly. 

They are coming to the attention of mainstream newsagencies.. 

The spotlight will be shining to brightly for them, I can only live in hope. 

[glen9mullan]

There's certainly some mixed views around the net on the woman's team.

Some are very much ,I don't watch them, they lose money and no ones interested in womens football.

Some are just very 1950

Others see this as another piece of the foundations being destroyed and are fearful if its the women's team today then what is it tomorrow, next week , next year etc.

My own stance is, when I joined the coalition I did so as our club is heading completely in the wrong direction and the lack of accountability is astounding.

I can watch and accept this or I can try and be part of something to try and push for positive change.

There will be many subjects, issues which I and everyone else will have stronger or weaker opinions on, but I made the choice to be part of unified approach. 

The women's team has touched the panel at all different trigger points, however to say nothing is accepting what will be will be. I fully support the coalitions panel in their actions this week in talking to staff and players who this has affected and publicly condemning the unprofessional way this has been handled by the club.

When representing the AG in meetings,  many times I've put across points strongly to the club which may not mirror my own thoughts, however when I chose to form the AG I gave up my own personal views to act in the best interest of the membership at all times.

I appreciate the Woman's team in isolation doesn't strike a chord with all, but I try and always look at things holistically and the symbol a decision like this has on future behaviours, actions by those at the club and the owners.

The club  is doing a fantastic job of writing their own bad press and in this instance they've impacted many lives and dreams with zero empathy or regard.

Edited 17 hours ago by glen9mullan

[sympatheticclaret]

In 1913, the main stand at Ewood Park was subject to an arson attack by extremist Suffragettes, targeting it as a symbol of male influence and power etc .... I wonder if we might see history repeat itself ? 

[alex l]

The downgrading of the women's team, or even if it was abolished altogether, doesn't upset me per se. It's how it's been handled and what is symbolises. 

By all accounts, those involved in the team have been treated like crap and communication has been poor. Had the club, last summer, said we'd be unlikely to run the team in the new wsl2 due to the costs, everyone has fair notice. 

But they didn't, and it's against the rhetoric we've heard of 'owners never fail to write a cheque', or the logic that we've banked £30m+ across 12 months. It's like they're too proud/stubborn/afraid to say 'Rovers are skint, we're watching all the pennies, sorry to the Women's team but we can't afford to run the team's. 

As for the fans who don't give a toss about the women's team, they should be careful what it could mean down the line. That precious Cat A academy is only kept as such because those running the place are hoping it unearths another Wharton, or at least others to keep modest sums coming in. If it doesn't produce first team players for a couple of seasons, they'll downgrade that too. The club shop will go online only other than match days and those in Row A will get high vis jackets so they can double up as stewards. In the meantime, the board continues to do everything they can to reduce the owners' annual investment, and they probably get rewarded for it. 

Rant over. 

[wilsdenrover]

Less than two years ago…

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2023/june/20/a-new-era-starts-now/

Quite the volte-face.

[rigger]

9 hours ago, Gamst said:

We could have funded the women’s team by getting rid of one of Steve or Pasha. It seems that everything is being cut apart from director pay. 

And  the majority of season ticket prices.

[Waggy76]

3 hours ago, sympatheticclaret said:

In 1913, the main stand at Ewood Park was subject to an arson attack by extremist Suffragettes, targeting it as a symbol of male influence and power etc .... I wonder if we might see history repeat itself ? 

I hope so with, Waggott, Suhail and Gestede still in the  building 😁

[alex l]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5y88zdgzp8o

Good on Dugdale for also speaking out. No contact to the players since the announcement was made, unsurprisingly. Calls on the owners test to also incorporate women's teams. 

 

Even better is her linkedin post. Lots of interesting detail about the club, highest earner etc. 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rachel-dugdale-338b90123_reflections-on-blackburn-rovers-reading-activity-7330864751251451906-5uC-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAB6bztwBhX25L8-tIrXRBZDOYrqfmREtgTQ&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacICQ-RIlgQqTgeCKnZir8HnML6UKaYyUEmEERn7q8ctAG48lc-ACSJ1Hgvaw_aem_egOuzZyycqtGeYElVVHUFA

Edited 12 hours ago by alex l

[philipl]

I didn't think my contempt for the useless pillocks running out club could get any more extreme.

Edited 10 hours ago by philipl

[Mike E]

2 hours ago, alex l said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5y88zdgzp8o

Good on Dugdale for also speaking out. No contact to the players since the announcement was made, unsurprisingly. Calls on the owners test to also incorporate women's teams. 

 

Even better is her linkedin post. Lots of interesting detail about the club, highest earner etc. 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rachel-dugdale-338b90123_reflections-on-blackburn-rovers-reading-activity-7330864751251451906-5uC-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAB6bztwBhX25L8-tIrXRBZDOYrqfmREtgTQ&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacICQ-RIlgQqTgeCKnZir8HnML6UKaYyUEmEERn7q8ctAG48lc-ACSJ1Hgvaw_aem_egOuzZyycqtGeYElVVHUFA

What Rachel has posted:

Time to Speak out…

Last year, I was advised to protect myself and not speak out when Reading WFC’s owners made the decision to self-relegate us. I followed that advice. But after the confirmation that Blackburn is taking the same path, after careful thought I believe it’s time to speak out.

Not enough attention has been paid to how we can stop this from happening again. I want to protect the women’s game more than I want to protect myself. I hope this message is received as I intend—not as an emotional response to one club, but as a call for football to do better and protect our game.

Did Reading receive enough criticism last year? Did their actions make it acceptable for clubs like Blackburn to simply U-turn on their women’s teams and submit £0 budgets? Could they be encouraged or required to sell the women’s side to new investors rather than self-relegate?

Reading Women had multiple offers to be bought out, but the owner, Dai Yongge, simply didn’t and the only reason that makes sense to me is that couldn’t be bothered.

There are legitimate investors out there who see the long-term potential in women’s sport.

Outdated mentalities are holding us back. If you don’t care, step aside—gracefully and in time—and let someone else invest the money, time, and passion. You can miss out on the rewards.

There’s been a severe lack of communication and care for the impact on players and staff, who have worked tirelessly to keep the club in the league—despite being given by far the smallest budget.

Does the "fit and proper owners" test have a category for the women’s team? When Owners pass this test to take on the men’s team is there any requirement for their intention to invest in the women’s team because we are always the first thing to be sacrificed?

In the club statement, the fans were blamed for low attendance. But fans are frustrated with the owners—they aren’t attending the men’s games either. There’s been a complete lack of investment in marketing and advertising for the women’s games. You can’t expect fans to turn up without a proper strategy. Emma Clark, Head of Commercial, worked tirelessly to bring in new sponsors, but her creativity and ambition were constantly restrained.

Last year, the women’s team budget was £100,000. We were told the men’s budget was £45 million. In our league, the next lowest women’s budget was more than double ours. And yet, through resilience, determination, and unity, the staff and players kept this club in the league—even when the bookies had us down as certain to be relegated.

To put things into perspective: the highest-earning player in the men’s squad, earns £20,000 a week. We don’t earn that in a year.

Blackburn’s academy has produced countless internationals—Ella Toone, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway—and that's just to name a few. But the next Keira Walsh now has no pathway to professional football at Blackburn. Talented girls will have to leave just to have a shot at progressing. That may mean traveling over an hour to places like Manchester, often during GCSEs or A-levels.There is a positive: the FA and women’s professional leagues are introducing minimum standards for 2025/26, including a minimum salary. For someone my age, that would be £27,000. This year, I was only paid £15,000—less than minimum wage. But because our training day was condensed, and we had to leave the ground right after lunch, the hours just about kept it classed as “part-time” despite full-time demands. These new rules will force owners to run women's teams properly—or step aside for clubs who will.

Another improvement: this year, the deadline for these decisions was brought forward. We’re finding out in May, not July like at Reading. That gives players and staff more time to find new clubs and allows the league time to replace us so there are 12 teams next season. Last year’s late decision left the league with an odd number.

Despite it all, the Championship is growing every year. Newcastle vs Sunderland had a record attendance of 38,502. Clubs like London City and Birmingham have budgets over a million already.

One final issue: WSL2 players still don’t have access to the PFA. Only players who have played in WSL1 are eligible. I’m fortunate—I played for Doncaster Belles in WSL (another team that folded while I was there), that gave me access. The PFA have been excellent in helping me get out of my contract at Reading, they supported me during my ACL rehab at Charlton and continue to support me during this situation at Blackburn. However, the vast majority of my teammates don’t have any support. This includes the likes of Niamh Murphy who is just 2 months post ACL op!

In the men’s game, the PFA supports the top four tiers. I’ve been told WSL2 players aren’t eligible until the league is 100% professional. With these new minimum standards coming in, surely that time is now. Can we have clarity from the FA or PFA—will WSL2 players have access from next season?

The women’s game is still fragile. We need owners and investors who see the long-term gain and are willing to risk their time and money on something truly special. You can’t under-invest, neglect the team, and then expect to profit when the sport becomes more lucrative.

Either invest—or let someone else do it properly.

Please share this to raise awareness and encourage those in power to step up and protect the future of women’s football.

[Mike E]

It continues to amaze me how so few fans actually care about the club or Jack’s legacy when it doesn’t suit them to do so. Jack’s ’Think Big’ included establishing Rovers Ladies in 1991.

Some of our fans deserve Venkys. Just a shame it gets inflicted on those of us that DO care.

[lraC]

One thing not mentioned so far, is the he shirt sponsors. They 2023/24 season  saw Watson Ramsbottom solicitors sponsored  the womens shirts. That in turn, led to them going on to sponsor the mens shirts las season. The amount paid to do you that, was more than 3 times, the budget the ladies team were given last year. 
Assuming the mens sponsorship came around, due to the womens year being considered successful, it does show, they go hand in hand, yet the opportunity has now gone.

Sadly these things are overlooked.