Participants sought for sociological study of Blackburn Rovers

[AdamMMU]

Hi - I'm Adam Dinsmore from the MMU Institute of Sport in Manchester. We've just launched an ESRC-funded project on the sociology of football in the North of England in partnership with the Football Supporters Association (FSA). We spoke last month with Glen Mullan, who you may know as Chair of The BRFC Action Group. Glen advised that BRFCS was the ideal place to reach Rovers supporters who might be interested in contributing to the project.

In a nutshell, we'd like to speak with as many Blackburn Rovers supporters as possible about the role that the club has played in their life story. The project is run by fans for fans, and we hope to contribute to public discourse around the new Independent Football Regulator. Particularly, the IFR's legal duty to protect the heritage of English football. Your experiences and perspectives will directly inform policy recommendations on what heritage protection should mean for supporters and their communities. 

What's involved: 

Participants will sit for a one-on-one interview conducted online or in-person. The interview will focus on your relationship with Blackburn Rovers and how the club and town have changed over time. We expect interviews to last 60–90 minutes. All data will be anonymised and stored securely in accordance with university ethical guidelines and GDPR. All participants receive a £50 Amazon voucher for their time and invitations to a series of events on the sociology of football where we will share our findings (planned late 2026/early 2027). You can withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. 

Who we're looking for: 

We're seeking Rovers supporters of all ages and backgrounds. You don't need to be a season ticket holder or attend every match - we're interested in hearing from anyone who identifies as a Blackburn Rovers fan, regardless of how you follow the club. 

If you are interested in being interviewed, you can sign-up at Beacons.ai/BRFCStudy or contact Dr Adam Dinsmore directly at a.dinsmore@mmu.ac.uk. I’ve attached a flyer (below) with a QR code that can be forwarded to anyone who may be interested. We’ll be handing them out near Roverstore before the Derby game on Saturday if anyone wants to discuss the project there.

[joey_big_nose]

Will ownership of the club and how this has impacted supporters, the club and the area be a focus? As I think there might be a lot of feedback.... I think that might be a theme across a lot of clubs in the North, including ours.

I think the general consensus could well be the that the quality of new and existing ownership needs systematic improvement, and the football regulator needs to have the tools to drive change in this regard.

[AdamMMU]

3 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Will ownership of the club and how this has impacted supporters, the club and the area be a focus? As I think there might be a lot of feedback.... I think that might be a theme across a lot of clubs in the North, including ours.

I think the general consensus could well be the that the quality of new and existing ownership needs systematic improvement, and the football regulator needs to have the tools to drive change in this regard.

Definitely mate. That is exactly the kind of thing we want to gather people's opinions about. Establishing the regulator is hopefully a step in the right direction, and we know parliament consulted with the FSA in drawing up the legislation. We are trying to make sure the standards and regulations they develop over the next 18 months are informed by supporters, and that they think about club's role in the wider community.

[Herbie6590]

*bump*

[...]

17 hours ago, AdamMMU said:

Definitely mate. That is exactly the kind of thing we want to gather people's opinions about. Establishing the regulator is hopefully a step in the right direction, and we know parliament consulted with the FSA in drawing up the legislation. We are trying to make sure the standards and regulations they develop over the next 18 months are informed by supporters, and that they think about club's role in the wider community.

Emailed

[mhead]

E-mailing. My 1956 to now life/torture with the Rovers is too scarring/exhilirating not to over-communicate about.

I encourage all members of the Rossendale Branch(c.1975) and later the Trust to take part!! 

[oneandycrawford]

3 hours ago, mhead said:

E-mailing. My 1956 to now life/torture with the Rovers is too scarring/exhilirating not to over-communicate about.

I encourage all members of the Rossendale Branch(c.1975) and later the Trust to take part!! 

Just signed up via the link. Was a member of the Rossendale Branch of the Supporters Association late-70's to early 80's (along with my dad)

[AdamMMU]

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. We have started interviewing fans and are already well on our way to our target. I also wanted to mention a second branch of the project that specifically focuses on the matchgoing experience.

In brief, we are looking for a family who would be willing to meet with me at Blackburn’s back-to-back home games against Sheff Wed (Sat 6 Dec) and Oxford Utd (Tues 9 Dec). The plan is for me to participate in the family’s matchday routine like any other fan and occasionally make notes with their consent. I have attached another flyer containing details of how to sign up, and I am happy to discuss details over the phone before you decide whether to proceed. The participating family will receive a £150 Amazon voucher.

So if you plan to attend the Sheff Wed and Oxford games with one-or-more members of your family and would like to take part, please get in touch. Like the interviews, the family study will help us better understand what the club means to fans and how the new regulator can best protect the heritage of Rovers and other clubs like it.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, AdamMMU said:

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. We have started interviewing fans and are already well on our way to our target. I also wanted to mention a second branch of the project that specifically focuses on the matchgoing experience.

In brief, we are looking for a family who would be willing to meet with me at Blackburn’s back-to-back home games against Sheff Wed (Sat 6 Dec) and Oxford Utd (Tues 9 Dec). The plan is for me to participate in the family’s matchday routine like any other fan and occasionally make notes with their consent. I have attached another flyer containing details of how to sign up, and I am happy to discuss details over the phone before you decide whether to proceed. The participating family will receive a £150 Amazon voucher.

So if you plan to attend the Sheff Wed and Oxford games with one-or-more members of your family and would like to take part, please get in touch. Like the interviews, the family study will help us better understand what the club means to fans and how the new regulator can best protect the heritage of Rovers and other clubs like it.

Are you still accepting new solo participants? I'd be interested.

[AdamMMU]

14 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Are you still accepting new solo participants? I'd be interested.

Certainly are mate. Sign-up using the details in the original post and we'll be in touch.