Boycott Or Not?

[Ghost7]

On 04/01/2026 at 14:10, Herbie6590 said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/9169044.rebel-rovers-fans-set-fc-blackburn/

 

Some fans are not as smart as they think. There aren't many people who can afford to buy Blackburn Rovers and run it as badly as Venky's have, however, there are many that can afford to buy it and run it well. A key fact people overlook.

Edited yesterday at 00:42 by Ghost7

[Mattyblue]

6 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto Mk2 said:

Which eyeballs and to what end? The local MP has lambasted them in the Mother of all Parliaments several times so I don’t think they are going to be bothered by a few social media posts.

Awareness is only a relevant goal when lack of awareness in a specific target group is a barrier to success. Who would you want to become aware and how would you think they could helpfully act once they were aware?

Personally I don’t think an ‘official’ boycott is needed at all, but it’s out there now and if, and I think it is, the point of it is to get visuals and figures into the media as part of an overall campaign, then in my opinion a night game is preferable as the biggest bang for your buck - other club fan groups doing the same obviously pick said games for a reason.

Edited yesterday at 06:04 by Mattyblue

[Exiled_Rover]

9 hours ago, JHRover said:

Leicester fans right now are probably about where Rovers were in 2011. A year or two into grievances against the ownership, and by virtue of them being successful and in the PL so recently they still have that energy/good number behind them to shout and act.

Not that their owner will ever get to Venky levels of negligence but I'm sure if they continue on their current trajectory for the next 12-13 years - flailing around the middle/bottom half of the Championship, maybe hit League One, remain under the same ownership/management and no change at all other than a mountain of debt and ever diminishing product then their fanbase will collapse too, as will the appetite among those still going to do something about it. Eventually they'd end up beaten into submission like many at Ewood are. It won't ever reach that point though because their owner will either turn it around or pack up and sell. 

That's what owners do see, they either try to turn the club around or they admit defeat and give up. For some reason people in the Rovers support base think we should do neither and just exist under Venkys whilst every other club moves on in life.

I'm sure there won't be many Leicester fans pointing at their own and shouting 'who would buy us' and 'we were crap in the 80s so what are you moaning about?' despite the fact they've had a decade or so that 99% of other clubs would have loved to have. No, they'll be demanding better and new ownership if they don't get it, just like everywhere else other than the head-in-sand gang at Ewood.

 

I've never known anything like our owners. £200m+ in debt. A rotting club (facilities, playing squad). Hated by the fans. 

Yet it's just a wall of silence from them. 

Why did we, of all clubs, have to be stuck with such an anomaly? 

[KidderStreetNoise]

15 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

Why’s that?

EPL rule F.1.8

[...]

37 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I've never known anything like our owners. £200m+ in debt. A rotting club (facilities, playing squad). Hated by the fans. 

Yet it's just a wall of silence from them. 

Why did we, of all clubs, have to be stuck with such an anomaly? 

Watched a very good match day vlogger last night, a Charlton fan, Brazilliance, he was walking around the ground talking about our past, our history and fa cup wins etc and was surprised to hear how much he knew about us albeit usual stats. Even he said we've got a cracking stadium and we shouldn't be dwindling down at the bottom given our history saying that we were playing at Ewood park before Charlton was ever born. 

Things like that make you stop amd think why us? Why is a historic club were we are 😩

[MarkBRFC]

12 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

Theyve been averaging 30k all season,  cant be 10k there tonight, proper effort

The theme here, Wednesday's most effective boycott was a night game on TV, same with Leicester last night.

The Sheffield Wednesday rearranged game should have been the one targeted by the coalition, a game only being played because of this regimes lack of investment.

A Saturday 3pm game was the wrong choice, and just won't work, in my opinion.

Edited yesterday at 08:38 by MarkBRFC

[wilsdenrover]

1 hour ago, KidderStreetNoise said:

EPL rule F.1.8

Thanks, that says they’d need to have been convicted of a relevant offence, I don’t think that’s happened.

Without double checking, I think the EFL has the same/a similar rule.

Edited yesterday at 09:22 by wilsdenrover

[KidderStreetNoise]

14 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Thanks, that says they’d need to have been convicted of a relevant offence, I don’t think that’s happened.

Not yet

[rog of the rovers]

Shameless plug alert, but we recorded a 4000 Holes Podcast last night and discussed the planned boycott at length in section 3. Should 'drop' on Friday morning as usual.

Worth a listen, in my humble opinion.

Myself, @Herbie6590, Holly, Rory Larmer and Rich Sharpe

Edited yesterday at 10:40 by rog of the rovers

[...]

17 minutes ago, rog of the rovers said:

Shameless plug alert, but we recorded a 4000 Holes Podcast last night and discussed the planned boycott at length in section 3. Should 'drop' on Friday morning as usual.

Worth a listen, in my humble opinion.

Myself, @Herbie6590, Holly, Rory Larmer and Rich Sharpe

👏👏👏💙🤍🔊🔊🔊

[speedies gonna get ya.]

I am an independent supporter and part of the coalition working group. I understand the argument that we should have chosen a midweek game to boycott, however let me explain our rationale.

Midweek games are so poorly attended that an almost empty Ewood would be spun by the club and others as not a boycott, just fans not showing up for a night match. If we can get a virtually empty Ewood on a Saturday it cannot be brushed aside.

Yes, midweek would probably be easier, but we cannot give them an out. A clear visual message indicating that it is the majority of fans that want change is what we are trying to convey. This is the only way we have of expressing this to Pasha and the Raos.

[47er]

4 minutes ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

I am an independent supporter and part of the coalition working group. I understand the argument that we should have chosen a midweek game to boycott, however let me explain our rationale.

Midweek games are so poorly attended that an almost empty Ewood would be spun by the club and others as not a boycott, just fans not showing up for a night match. If we can get a virtually empty Ewood on a Saturday it cannot be brushed aside.

Yes, midweek would probably be easier, but we cannot give them an out. A clear visual message indicating that it is the majority of fans that want change is what we are trying to convey. This is the only way we have of expressing this to Pasha and the Raos.

I think people are afraid of it flopping. I honestly don't know how it'll go.

But it has to be tried. If this one fails and things carry on as they are, you won't need to organise anything anyway.

Next season's season-ticket sales will be the clincher.

Edited yesterday at 11:18 by 47er

[speedies gonna get ya.]

47er I totally agree. I am afraid, but it is worth trying as I am more afraid of what lays ahead if we do nothing. It is all our responsibilities, as Rovers fans to get the boycott message out there, and encourage as many season ticket holders as possible to make a small sacrifice and miss 1 game.

[speedies gonna get ya.]

It is important we dont waste time and energy as a fan base saying, "should have done this way etc" A small group of people are giving up their time, working hard with no funds, to try and do all we can for the club we all love. This action has been chosen, now let's all help make it work.

[...]

6 minutes ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

47er I totally agree. I am afraid, but it is worth trying as I am more afraid of what lays ahead if we do nothing. It is all our responsibilities, as Rovers fans to get the boycott message out there, and encourage as many season ticket holders as possible to make a small sacrifice and miss 1 game.

Hindsight is wonderful but this is what we are working with now in the Watford Boycott.

I agree with other sheff Wednesday would of been a good one and then a selected follow up fixture for continuity.

So frustrating seeing a well loved club fall to incompetence.

[TheKitGuy]

It's one game, against Watford in the 2nd tier. it's going to be a dire game either way. it's not like the coalition are asking the fans to boycott the super cup against the 2009 Barcelona squad.

Go and spend the money you would on a ticket on a local café etc. Go for a walk up Darwen tower or pendle. You're not going to miss much by not attending one game of a drab season.

[RevidgeBlue]

5 minutes ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

I am an independent supporter and part of the coalition working group. I understand the argument that we should have chosen a midweek game to boycott, however let me explain our rationale.

Midweek games are so poorly attended that an almost empty Ewood would be spun by the club and others as not a boycott, just fans not showing up for a night match. If we can get a virtually empty Ewood on a Saturday it cannot be brushed aside.

Yes, midweek would probably be easier, but we cannot give them an out. A clear visual message indicating that it is the majority of fans that want change is what we are trying to convey. This is the only way we have of expressing this to Pasha and the Raos.

Please dont be put off by the naysayers on here. I find it really strange how some posters have painted themselves into a corner by insisting a boycott either won't work or is being held at the wrong time yada yada.

The important thing for me is that the ball iis finally officially rolling on what is likely to be a very long and arduous campaign. Gates are so low now anyway it will be quite hard to achieve another significant reduction on existing levels but frankly you never know until you try.

Even if there isnt a significant reduction I can't see that this particularly matters as long as a boycott isn't the ONLY tool in the Coalition's arsenal

 The issue will be firmly in the public domain, (hopefully to stay)  battle lines will have been drawn, and it's important  that it's only the first step in a co-ordinated and varied campaign which never lets up.

[speedies gonna get ya.]

Cheers. The ball is firmly in the clubs court. The open letter was chosen as we have no means of meaningful communication with the club or the owners.  The fact they still haven't acknowledged it says everything you need to know about the way they treat loyal fans. 

The Watford boycott is the start. The next phase is dictated by the success of the boycott and the club's response to it. If is imperative it is a success to give us a mandate.

Please do spread the message far and wide 🙏. 

And, my name is Neil Liver, you can find me on twitter. I do not want to be accused of hiding behind a screen and being a keyboard warrior.  It is time for us all to stand up and be counted. (Or not counted as we wont be there on the 24th)

[Tomphil2]

29 minutes ago, TheKitGuy said:

It's one game, against Watford in the 2nd tier. it's going to be a dire game either way. it's not like the coalition are asking the fans to boycott the super cup against the 2009 Barcelona squad.

Go and spend the money you would on a ticket on a local café etc. Go for a walk up Darwen tower or pendle. You're not going to miss much by not attending one game of a drab season.

Exactly.

Loads wouldn't turn up anyway on the day regardless but now all of a sudden they are all uppity superfans who refuse to miss one.

Odd bunch.

[Dreams of 1995]

Do Lancashire Police release official attendance figures for the games? The Clubs attendances can never be trusted

[speedies gonna get ya.]

I believe they do. You can make a freedom of info application but takes 3 weeks. We are looking at previous ones. 

[Hasta]

The Gooner will have every school he possibly can on a coach to this one to inflate the attendance numbers.

[Mattyblue]

I'm an actual attender that will be doing said boycott, so not sure what corner I'm painted into or how that makes me a 'naysayer', especially being called so from people that have no boycott to make as they already don't go! Some balls.

However, this is a forum that is supposed to be about exchanging views and as I'm also a paid up member of WATR that is part of the Coalition, I'm more than entitled to offer some constructive criticism as to why, *in my opinion*, even though I'll do it anyway, this isn't the correct game.

Edited yesterday at 12:29 by Mattyblue

[wilsdenrover]

In this day and age the club announced attendance (every club, not just ours) should have to be the actual attendance.

 

[MarkBRFC]

4 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I'm an actual attender that will be doing said boycott, so not sure what corner I'm painted into or how that makes me a 'naysayer', especially being called so from people that have no boycott to make as they already don't go! Some balls.

However, this is a forum that is supposed to be about exchanging views and as I'm also a paid up member of WATR that is part of the Coalition, I'm more than entitled to offer some constructive criticism as to why, *in my opinion*, even though I'll do it anyway, this isn't the correct game.

I was just about to post similar and is the exact same as where I am at.

It seems to me that the coalition don't want constructive criticism, the "the action has been chosen and that's that" comment I find disappointing.

I think it was yourself earlier in the thread that said the coalition don't seem to understand the mindset of the majority of the remaining match going fanbase, and I agree.

I truly do hope this works and is the start of something, but the numbers for this game I think will be no more noticeable than it was the game against Milwall a few weeks back.