Boycott Or Not?

[rigger]

Boycott the evening with Valerian.

[Mattyblue]

No Rev I interviewed every fan on the way in on Saturday 🙄

It’s called ‘anecdotal’.

I am telling you now that 5/6,000 people at least will be in the ground, ergo it can’t be deemed a success as a ‘boycott’.

Like I said if that doesn’t matter as it’s all part of a bigger campaign, then fine (which of course begs the question, why do it at all and not focus on other things that do work in and of themselves)

[StHelensRover]

11 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

why do it at all and not focus on other things that do work in and of themselves

I don't think there is anything that can be done which hasn't already been done in the last 15 years, which isn't illegal.

Fans have involved MPs, spoken to regional, national, international press, supporter federations, protested inside the ground, outside the ground, brought livestock into the ground, done planned walkouts, thrown a snowball, chanted endlessly, made banners and at least two thirds of the fan base have just stopped attending. No one outside of East Lancashire cares about the issue.  I'm not aware of anything else that people can do.

Emptying the stadium is the one final thing which hasn't been done.

 

Edited 5 hours ago by StHelensRover

[RevidgeBlue]

30 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

It’s the start of what will almost certainly have to be a long (& divisive) campaign. 

 

…if the alternative is 15 more years of death of a thousand cuts, then…🤷‍♂️

Exactly.

[Crimpshrine]

31 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

And you’ve repeatedly said how it’s a good idea when the evidence of actual fans that still go says the exact opposite.

Protesting by numbers instead of thinking what will actually work.

The call for a boycott is a starting point. I don't think there are many Rovers fans who have not heard about it - so that is a start - get people thinking, get people talking and get the spotlight on Venky's in general and Pasha in particular. 

It is an initial step and if most fans ignore it - as you suggest will be the case - then other options will be considered. 

Things that will get more people on board are a run of bad results/relegation/bad transfer dealings. All those things will happen sooner or later under the current set up but if we wait until things are that bad, the call for a boycott will just appear to be reactionary.  I think it is a good idea to 'get our retaliation in first' and it shouldn't stop after the Watford game whether there is 1 person there or 20,000 there.

[Tomphil2]

Next seasons ST sales and home turnouts will be catastrophic from the word go and there's no way that can be dressed up as anything else other than a boycott.

As pointed out a few times when people are left to make their own minds up and aren't playing the martyr for either side just finding their own excuses not to go the proof will be in the pudding.

Yes 5 or 6k will always be there but we'll then have dropped from 12k hardcore to half in twelve months and that cannot be ignored by anybody.

Unless we get relegated then it'll just be 'shit support' of course.

Edited 4 hours ago by Tomphil2

[Paul Mellelieu]

We have a de facto boycott - including by me for 18 months - so it will be difficult to prise away the most loyal fans.  And therefore, whilst it might not the most effective tactic, it might  have an impact.  So good luck.

[Mattyblue]

Exactly, Paul.

Nothing will happen v Watford that isn’t happening already. But if you want to call it ‘official’ now, fine. Still don’t see why none of this couldn’t have been achieved through an FOI police request and a media campaign, which would have kept the remaining match goers in the tent.

Like I said brfcs-ers and The Coalition  don’t understand the actual reality of where the fans in the ground are.

But crack on

[Crimpshrine]

16 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

 

Like I said brfcs-ers and The Coalition  don’t understand the actual reality of where the fans in the ground are.

I think they do understand - that is why the coalition have requested that anyone not wishing to boycott the match to boycott food and drink in the ground and goods from the club shop. 

[Mattyblue]

…and they won’t do that either as Saturday showed.

[aletheia]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Like I said if that doesn’t matter as it’s all part of a bigger campaign, then fine (which of course begs the question, why do it at all and not focus on other things that do work in and of themselves)

Did you say what those alternatives are? Or your alternative is?

[levi]

I've been saying for a while that the only way to get them out is to do what shef wed did

Thing is i now live an hour and half away,my lad plays on a saturday so we only get to a handful of home games a year when he's not playing

 

Unfortunately the watford game falls on my lads birthday...i've already booked 2 none refundable hotel rooms,plus tickets and jacks kitchen us all

 

So we'll be attending and also spending in the ground😬

Edited 1 hour ago by levi

[Mattyblue]

Ive already said. What the Coalition did last season to smoke the three stooges out their foxhole was excellent, plus use FOI through Lancs Police to get the fact a ‘boycott’ is already underway into the press. 6,000 people at a league game for Blackburn Rovers. A club that had an average crowd of 25,000 as these owners bought the club.

There’s your story right there and will have just as much national media interest as this non-boycott will have, *plus* keeps match goers onside. As at the moment the only people winning with this are the regime as the fanbase is well and truly divided again.

[Herbie6590]

5 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Ive already said. What the Coalition did last season to smoke the three stooges out their foxhole was excellent, plus use FOI through Lancs Police to get the fact a ‘boycott’ is already underway into the press. 6,000 people at a league game for Blackburn Rovers. A club that had an average crowd of 25,000 as these owners bought the club.

There’s your story right there and will have just as much national media interest as this non-boycott will have, *plus* keeps match goers onside. As at the moment the only people winning with this are the regime as the fanbase is well and truly divided again.

 

[Mattyblue]

That’s the stuff!

[RevidgeBlue]

18 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Ive already said. What the Coalition did last season to smoke the three stooges out their foxhole was excellent, plus use FOI through Lancs Police to get the fact a ‘boycott’ is already underway into the press. 6,000 people at a league game for Blackburn Rovers. A club that had an average crowd of 25,000 as these owners bought the club.

There’s your story right there and will have just as much national media interest as this non-boycott will have, *plus* keeps match goers onside. As at the moment the only people winning with this are the regime as the fanbase is well and truly divided again.

Unless you've suddenly developed remarkable psychic powers you've no way of knowing whether it will be a "non boycott".

Also you've painted yourself into such a corner with your view that a boycott "won't work" Im guessing you'll be insisting it hasn't worked unless there's about 50 people in the ground.

Anyhow, we're just going round in circles and coming back to the similar points so will leave it there.

Merry Christmas.

[Mattyblue]

No corners here, total open mind.

I’ve already said, I expect c6,000, no different than Oxford. If it’s c3/4k then definitely a success.

[Hasta]

1 hour ago, levi said:

Unfortunately the watford game falls on my lads birthday...i've already booked 2 none refundable hotel rooms

Brave move. Hope it stays dry for you 🤞

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, Herbie6590 said:

 

Great stuff, and mightily inconvenient to those who obsess about things such as town size, demographics, wealth, how many people live in Bolton, small town unfashionable club (whatever that means is anyone's guess).

Simple statistics show that this club is failing big time and is circling the plug hole of oblivion under these owners whilst a chunk of the support base make excuses for them and their failings.

[Hasta]

The number of people who didn’t take their seats until the 18th minute in the Blackburn End against Wolves years ago gives me hope this will get some traction. I expected the concourse for that game just to be a hundred or so once the game started, but there were far more people there after kick off than I expected. The problem is that even if a couple of thousand don’t go, being a Saturday it will still only look like the crowds attending for the recent midweek games.

The word is out though. People I know who are very casual Rovers fans have mentioned the boycott to me.

Personally, I still think the key is getting rid of Pasha. I don’t believe Venkys would have the inclination, or trust, to put a direct replacement in. It would just become a bigger nuisance than it already is.

Edited 29 minutes ago by Hasta

[RevidgeBlue]

47 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

No corners here, total open mind.

I’ve already said, I expect c6,000, no different than Oxford. If it’s c3/4k then definitely a success.

Agreed.

[Ossydave]

I've been meandering towards what I suppose is a 'natural boycott' for a while now. My home attendance gets less each season (haven't been once this season). I may go to the Wrexham game in fairness to catch up with a few lads.

The latest call to protest hasn't  altered my perspective at all really, but I dare say it will nudge a few others to my way of thinking.

To put things in context, I was a ST holder for over 20 years (I'm a 44 year old bastard now), I still had one for a number of season under the Venky rats. Within that time I came to hate home games, it started as a chore, particularly night games, but came to a point where I was questioning why the fuck I was doing it. Life also progressed, the kids grew up, work got busier (sometimes work 7 days straight), priorities changed. Previously I've missed weddings, birthdays and other things to attend, ive nearly lost a job queing for Celtic away tickets and doing a sickie on the day of the game after being declined AL, now? Not a bloody chance.

I've missed watching 1 game all season (last week), I was near Penrith miles from civilisation though, my hand was forced! I'm going on Boxing Day as it's tradition and looking forward to it if I'm honest. Had it been at home it would have been a reluctant trudge to the ground.

Would my perspective change if our owners changed? 100% yes. I don't demand glory, I ain't a glory hunter, I've stood on a crumbling Blackburn End step, I've watched on the Riverside hill with my dad when times were hard. All i want is owners that care and a fan base pulling collectively in 1 direction. I would buy a season ticket no questions asked, even if I inevitably missed half the games through other commitments.

Until then, I continue as is I guess. Will still fit a few more away games in this season, in the new year I won't attend Ewood again I don't think, barring a big cup tie against them twats up the road......