500 Words on Birmingham City at Home

[BRFCS.com]

Rovers Sucker Punched

Read the full article on the front page and let us know your thoughts.

[TheDon88]

As a long suffering Birmingham fan I feel your pain. We finally have the owners we've yearned for so long. It took a lot of protests get get rid of our previous owners which had driven the club to the ground. It wasn't long ago we no longer owned our ground, had £150m debts, half our ground was closed because it had not been maintained and failed safety standards, any player of value was sold and not reinvested. The training ground was a disgrace lacking basic amenities like hot water or a decent pitch. There was little investment into the first team and there was talk of getting rid of the academy and women's team to save money. As a result of this lack of investment it was relegation battle after relegation battle. I think we had 7 last day escapes.

As they say it's always darkest before the dawn. The new owners came in and started the rebuilding process. The best thing was they actually talked to the fans. We still don't know what the Chinese owners look like. We knew we were in good hands. They screwed up and a lot went wrong in Mowbray getting ill in getting us relegated. Tom Wagner stayed back talking to fans for an hour apologising for their failures and vowed to fulfil his promise of premier league football. Other fans see the whole Tom Brady thing as a circus but he's just there for the branding. Having a superstar as an owner is amazing for raising the club profile and attracting sponsorship to the club. Keep believing and someday you will be free of your awful owners. Owners are temporary the fans are permanent.

As for the game today, it's about time we beat you at Ewood Park. Your team played very well and were unlucky not to get anything. I wish you all the best for the rest of the season. KRO.

[Mattyblue]

Unfortunately the dawn never comes here.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Unfortunately the dawn never comes here.

It's the middle of the night and we are not having fun. I think I will see my end of days, before the dawn comes. Never mind there is always next week.

Edited August 17 by rigger

[LWX]

Good on you Don88, and good luck to Blues this season. Our owners seem to have zero intention of going anywhere, it's rotten, an extremely frustrating and dividing situation.

[Crimpshrine]

11 hours ago, TheDon88 said:

As a long suffering Birmingham fan I feel your pain. We finally have the owners we've yearned for so long. It took a lot of protests get get rid of our previous owners which had driven the club to the ground. It wasn't long ago we no longer owned our ground, had £150m debts, half our ground was closed because it had not been maintained and failed safety standards, any player of value was sold and not reinvested. The training ground was a disgrace lacking basic amenities like hot water or a decent pitch. There was little investment into the first team and there was talk of getting rid of the academy and women's team to save money. 

Thanks for taking the time to post. The recent similarities between our two clubs are obvious from reading your first paragraph.

However, one thing we are not doing, and haven't for a long time, is protest. Some fans have been numbed into a state of acceptance, some have walked away and some just enjoy going to the game and are not too interested in the off the pitch issues.

I've heard all the arguments about protests not working and we need to engage. Too late for that. We need protests and we need them now. Even if people don't want to attend marches or sit ins or delayed arrival at matches, we can start with financial sanctions in the club shop, in the ground etc.

It is time for action, has been for a long time.

[roverandout]

Most of our supporters don't have the stomach for the fight

[TheDon88]

You'll find there are a lot of fans who can't be bothered starting anything themselves but will join in if they see someone taking action. We had one amazing fan who went all the way to Hong Kong to gather information on our shadowy owner. He found out the registered building was empty and along with investigational journalists he untangled the myriad of shell companies that the owner was hiding behind. He took personal risks as there were links to triads and the underworld. He passed this information to the authorities and this was the start of the fall of this suspected money laundering operation. There were protests ranging from boycotts, arriving late, tennis balls into pitch, whistles, plane flying overhead saying BIHL OUT in a Sky game, Also Anti board banners and songs, Adverts in newspapers and on advertising hoardings close to the ground and training pitch. There was an incident where one of the board members was punched. There were marches and mass protests outside the ground. I think the adverts in the Chinese newspaper in Chinese was what worked as your image is very important in their culture. It wasn't easy but we finally got our club back.

Blackburn is also a historic club with a large fanbase. You'll be pleasantly surprised with how much the fans of other clubs will support your fight. It's your club so fight for it.

[gumboots]

1 hour ago, TheDon88 said:

Blackburn is also a historic club with a large fanbase. You'll be pleasantly surprised with how much the fans of other clubs will support your fight. It's your club so fight for it.

So where was that support when we protested all those years ago? I remember marching, and I remember others doing a lot, lot more. Most people weren't interested then. They're no more interested now. We are and have been for many years, a basket case of a club. The number of well known media people who basically told us to shut up because Venkys pay our bills was amazing. And still it goes on. A manager nobody hoped for, a captain who wants away, an inability to sign a decent striker so that we actually look like scoring, players leaving for decent sums but no adequate replacements, a fanbase so disenchanted they don't trust anyone, and absentee owners who haven't been seen in over a decade. Don't try to cheer us up. We know what's wrong and also know there doesn't seem to be any way of getting out of the parlour and completely undeserved mess we find ourselves in.

[Herbie6590]

19 minutes ago, gumboots said:

So where was that support when we protested all those years ago? I remember marching, and I remember others doing a lot, lot more. Most people weren't interested then. They're no more interested now. We are and have been for many years, a basket case of a club. The number of well known media people who basically told us to shut up because Venkys pay our bills was amazing. And still it goes on. A manager nobody hoped for, a captain who wants away, an inability to sign a decent striker so that we actually look like scoring, players leaving for decent sums but no adequate replacements, a fanbase so disenchanted they don't trust anyone, and absentee owners who haven't been seen in over a decade. Don't try to cheer us up. We know what's wrong and also know there doesn't seem to be any way of getting out of the parlour and completely undeserved mess we find ourselves in.

Harsh…a fan shows empathy and…🤷‍♂️

[gumboots]

10 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

Harsh…a fan shows empathy and…🤷‍♂️

I'm not really angry with him, but with the whole sorry mess at Ewood that has gone on for so long, since well before I retired and appears likely to still be going on when I'm long gone. So many fans lost, so many who will likely never return. 

[gumboots]

33 minutes ago, gumboots said:

So where was that support when we protested all those years ago? I remember marching, and I remember others doing a lot, lot more. Most people weren't interested then. They're no more interested now. We are and have been for many years, a basket case of a club. The number of well known media people who basically told us to shut up because Venkys pay our bills was amazing. And still it goes on. A manager nobody hoped for, a captain who wants away, an inability to sign a decent striker so that we actually look like scoring, players leaving for decent sums but no adequate replacements, a fanbase so disenchanted they don't trust anyone, and absentee owners who haven't been seen in over a decade. Don't try to cheer us up. We know what's wrong and also know there doesn't seem to be any way of getting out of the parlous and completely undeserved mess we find ourselves in.

 

[bazza]

Hello, Gumboots. Haven't read you for ages. Glad you're still around.

[TheDon88]

No one said it was gonna be easy. It's taken us 14 years to get rid of Chinese ownership. Funnily enough we helped Coventry City by letting them ground share with us for two seasons when they were gonna be booted out of the football league because they would have been homeless. When our fans protested rival fans applauded us.

[Hannoverover]

1 hour ago, TheDon88 said:

No one said it was gonna be easy. It's taken us 14 years to get rid of Chinese ownership. Funnily enough we helped Coventry City by letting them ground share with us for two seasons when they were gonna be booted out of the football league because they would have been homeless. When our fans protested rival fans applauded us.

Imagine Rovers playing at turf moor!! We play and support our teams because of our rivals and without them football just isn't the same.

I'm hoping we can finally get rid of Venkys one day soon...

Well done and congratulations - good luck for the rest today the season.

[des]

Until the owners change it will be an up hill battle, why there still what our club is beyond me but we can l8 ein hope that are some point there will go but what state the. Lib is in by then is anyone's guess.  As for the match we were a bit unlucky to lose but the second goal should never have happened still on to the hull game

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I have my own theory why our support is so supine regarding the shit being dumped on us by the chicken chokers. It relates to “ Lancashire folk “ being used to being shat on over the centuries in many varied ways.

Edited August 18 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Crimpshrine]

15 hours ago, gumboots said:

So where was that support when we protested all those years ago? I remember marching, and I remember others doing a lot, lot more. Most people weren't interested then. They're no more interested now. We are and have been for many years, a basket case of a club. The number of well known media people who basically told us to shut up because Venkys pay our bills was amazing. And still it goes on. A manager nobody hoped for, a captain who wants away, an inability to sign a decent striker so that we actually look like scoring, players leaving for decent sums but no adequate replacements, a fanbase so disenchanted they don't trust anyone, and absentee owners who haven't been seen in over a decade. Don't try to cheer us up. We know what's wrong and also know there doesn't seem to be any way of getting out of the parlour and completely undeserved mess we find ourselves in.

OK, we haven't had success so far but we must keep trying. 

I think @TheDon88 and his experiences give us hope for the future but we need to put the effort in

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

36 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I have my own theory why our support is so supine regarding the shit being dumped on us by the chicken chokers. It relates to “ Lancashire folk “ being used to being shat on over the centuries in many various ways.

Think you have a good point there Tyrone,takes a lot for Blackburn folk to get upset..very laid back and apathetic.

'Oh well never mind,there's nowt tha can do abaat it lad!'

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Think you have a good point there Tyrone,takes a lot for Blackburn folk to get upset..very laid back and apathetic.

'Oh well never mind,there's nowt tha can do abaat it lad!'

Early cotton mill fodder working every hour god sent from the age of about 10. Then cannon fodder  “ Lions led by donkeys “ in WW1 etc etc  Standing by whilst our industrial base vanished in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. I remember reading that in the late 19th century there was a pub or ale shop for every 12 people over drinking age in Blackburn. That speaks for itself.

Edited August 18 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Herbie6590]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I have my own theory why our support is so supine regarding the shit being dumped on us by the chicken chokers. It relates to “ Lancashire folk “ being used to being shat on over the centuries in many varied ways.

Stoical…🤔

[Mattyblue]

A problem a lot of other club fans have is that they project their experiences on ours. Which is fair enough as any normal (I.e they face economic reality in the end) owner, with good intentions or nefarious would’ve given up the ghost by now. Sheff Wed will be rid of theirs in the medium term. As were Birmingham, as were Cov, as were Reading.

This lot however, don’t seem to care about the economics, or football, or abuse. Nothing.

[TheDon88]

Some comments I found a bit odd there. We support our club because of our rivals. No you support your club because it's your tribe. If your rivals were no more you'd still support your club. If your club ended up in the National league you'd still support them. The Venkys aren't affected by anything protests, economics etc. Why are they there if it's not to make money? If your fans stopped buying merchandise and boycotted then debts would cripple them. You'd probably sell all your good players, get relegated and eventually you'd reach a point where they would no longer be able to afford to run a football club. It does require your fans to be more vocal though so your dissatisfaction is highlighted at every opportunity. I watched the last game and didn't see any banners saying Venkys out or hear your fans venting their anger at the board.

[Mattyblue]

Ask any Rovers fan why they are here, nobody has a clue.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

23 minutes ago, TheDon88 said:

I watched the last game and didn't see any banners saying Venkys out or hear your fans venting their anger at the board.

And that is the reason these two Hats know they can get away with it...we're too apathetic as a fanbase,too nice.

No way would this have been tolerated at West Ham,Newcastle,Millwall or your Gaff.

Btw...do you still sell 'Brummie Burgers' at St.Andrews?☠️