Boycott Or Not?

[StHelensRover]

Need to be careful about how we respond to this sort of stuff as a fan base. 

It could open up boycotters to criticism from either the club, pundits or other parts of the fan base.

"See, all you're actually doing is costing local people paid work, next it will be kiosk staff and club shop staff, your boycott is damaging to local people" etc etc.

None of it should wash btw, unthinkable what going from regular 25k crowds to regular 7k crowds has done to the whole town's economy and mood in the last 15 years.

[Polky]

 

[TheKitGuy]

25 minutes ago, StHelensRover said:

Need to be careful about how we respond to this sort of stuff as a fan base. 

It could open up boycotters to criticism from either the club, pundits or other parts of the fan base.

"See, all you're actually doing is costing local people paid work, next it will be kiosk staff and club shop staff, your boycott is damaging to local people" etc etc.

None of it should wash btw, unthinkable what going from regular 25k crowds to regular 7k crowds has done to the whole town's economy and mood in the last 15 years.

I have said this from the very start. 

A town/city progresses if the local football club does well. the local economy grows with the growth of a football club. Blackburn itself has had a terrible decline within the last 15years, not a coincidence is it?

[StHelensRover]

22 minutes ago, TheKitGuy said:

I have said this from the very start. 

A town/city progresses if the local football club does well. the local economy grows with the growth of a football club. Blackburn itself has had a terrible decline within the last 15years, not a coincidence is it?

It's definitely one of the reasons for economic decline of the area, not sure to what extent, the whole thing is extremely complex and lots of different factors demographic and political factors to consider as well.

Having said that, if a town of 110,000 people regularly goes from having 25,000 people doing a specific economic activity in that town reducing down to now around 10,000 people (including away fans) doing that same activity, it's bound to have an impact. That economic activity will be pretty varied as well, spending on public transport, pubs, takeaways, supermarkets and the rest all directly impacted by the fact that 10,000 people are walking past on a match day when it used to be 25,000. Another fantastic gift for the people of east Lancashire from the Venkys

 

Edited yesterday at 13:19 by StHelensRover

[BigUts]

I went to Wimbledon (the tennis tournament) in the summer, and got speaking to an American chap who made hoses of all things (high grade ones for aircraft / spacecraft) and said he literally went to see Wrexham as a possible European base for manufacturing as he had heard of it from the TV show.

I think it's been proven many times in the past that the success of a football has a correlation with investment not just due to increased footfall and expenditure but be because the town is recognised and thus seems more attractive. I read something similar about Sunderland and the investment in the town correlating well with the success of the football club.

[DE.]

5 hours ago, Elrovers said:

 One of my mates who works as a steward, got sent this message. 

Do you know if this happens much, or if it's really unusual? 

[Elrovers]

Just now, DE. said:

Do you know if this happens much, or if it's really unusual? 

Never usually happens. Only prestige staff get put on shift when sales are really low. It’s of course the boycott that’s making the sales really low and that’s why I put it on here to pretty much show not many people are turning up.

[DE.]

1 minute ago, Elrovers said:

Never usually happens. Only prestige staff get put on shift when sales are really low. It’s of course the boycott that’s making the sales really low and that’s why I put it on here to pretty much show not many people are turning up.

Strange when all of the true fans in the LT comments pledged to bring every member of their family as well as their entire friendship circle. Plans must have changed. 

[RevidgeBlue]

10 minutes ago, Elrovers said:

 It’s of course the boycott that’s making the sales really low and that’s why I put it on here to pretty much show not many people are turning up.

Is that right though?

Not wanting to diss the boycott but at this stage it can only really affect walk on sales which presumably won't be very high to begin with.

How can the Club have any idea whatsoever whether it will be really well observed, completely ignored, or somewhere inbetween?

[bluebruce]

5 hours ago, StHelensRover said:

Need to be careful about how we respond to this sort of stuff as a fan base. 

It could open up boycotters to criticism from either the club, pundits or other parts of the fan base.

"See, all you're actually doing is costing local people paid work, next it will be kiosk staff and club shop staff, your boycott is damaging to local people" etc etc.

None of it should wash btw, unthinkable what going from regular 25k crowds to regular 7k crowds has done to the whole town's economy and mood in the last 15 years.

Anybody saying that is an idiot. It's one match being boycotted to make a point about where things are on their way to. It's not going to cost anyone their job.

Also, nobody is obliged to give patronage to anywhere. You're not 'costing' anybody anything, as the money wasn't theirs in the first place, it was yours.

(Not you specifically)

[Mattyblue]

For a Saturday 3pm, there’s usually 2/3k walk ons.

Presumably then the projections for this weekend is that’s it’s going to be substantially lower than that? Ergo that text?

‘Tickets sales’ being the relevant bit, as yes, they’ve no idea on how many paid up ST Holders will actually be attending, though even without a boycott plenty haven’t been for a couple of months now.

So put low match ticket sales , plus they’ll know the ‘real’ numbers of ST holders that haven’t been coming for a while, plus a boycott, plus Watford won’t be fetching many, and well, let’s see.

[davulsukur]

27 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

For a Saturday 3pm, there’s usually 2/3k walk ons.

Presumably then the projections for this weekend is that’s it’s going to be substantially lower than that? Ergo that text?

‘Tickets sales’ being the relevant bit, as yes, they’ve no idea on how many paid up ST Holders will actually be attending, though even without a boycott plenty haven’t been for a couple of months now.

So put low match ticket sales , plus they’ll know the ‘real’ numbers of ST holders that haven’t been coming for a while, plus a boycott, plus Watford won’t be fetching many, and well, let’s see.

You would imagine they'd have to cater for all season ticket holders regardless of whether they attend, as the club have no way of knowing how many will turn up, they all might or none of them might.

Assume any additional tickets sale drive the need for more staff or not.

Good to see its a low expected turn out though.

[...]

4 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

You would imagine they'd have to cater for all season ticket holders regardless of whether they attend, as the club have no way of knowing how many will turn up, they all might or none of them might.

Assume any additional tickets sale drive the need for more staff or not.

Good to see its a low expected turn out though.

Sales look thin on the seating map 

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, davulsukur said:

You would imagine they'd have to cater for all season ticket holders regardless of whether they attend, as the club have no way of knowing how many will turn up, they all might or none of them might.

Assume any additional tickets sale drive the need for more staff or not.

Good to see its a low expected turn out though.

This is true (in theory, this is venky FC after all) and is why it's really important that season ticket holders boycott. 

The idea is to demonstrate our power by costing the owners more of their own money. If they don't like it then there is an easy solution, just sell up and fuck off.

[...]

 

 

LIVE DISCUSSION 

[Tomphil2]

Crowd will be announced as 11.5k as usual.

[damo100]

Just seen this on Facebook Rovers page.

Lost for words..

[Mattyblue]

ST holders not sitting in a seat they’ve paid for will end the academy and the whole club.

Interesting take.

[TheKitGuy]

7 hours ago, damo100 said:

Just seen this on Facebook Rovers page.

Lost for words..

Does this guy seriously think we are 1 poor crowd away from entire liquidation without a single buyer.

[lraC]

7 hours ago, damo100 said:

Just seen this on Facebook Rovers page.

Lost for words..

So what does he want to do, turn up and back the lads and not utter a word of descent about how these people are killing the club he supports? 

Edited 5 hours ago by lraC

[MarkBRFC]

14 hours ago, ... said:

Sales look thin on the seating map 

They do for every home game to be fair.

[Penwortham Blue]

54 minutes ago, lraC said:

So what does he want to do, turn up and back the lads and not utter a word of descent about how these people are killing the club he supports? 

You can’t reason with some people. I have paid for my seat by way of ST but I will not attend the game. Something needs to change in order to save this once great club of ours, at the very least I will know that I did what little I could in order to protest and seek such change.

[JHRover]

These stockholm syndrome sufferers will no doubt be out in force blaming the boycotters and stay-aways for relegation if/when it happens.

Anything and anyone but Venkys!

They'll blame fellow supporters, Waggott, Ismael, Gestede, Pasha, all the previous administrators, managers, players, the weather, the EFL, Covid, small town small gates etc.

The one thing they won't blame is the people ultimately in control and responsible for it all. 

What a strange way to live your life. 

[G Somerset Rover]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

These stockholm syndrome sufferers will no doubt be out in force blaming the boycotters and stay-aways for relegation if/when it happens.

Anything and anyone but Venkys!

They'll blame fellow supporters, Waggott, Ismael, Gestede, Pasha, all the previous administrators, managers, players, the weather, the EFL, Covid, small town small gates etc.

The one thing they won't blame is the people ultimately in control and responsible for it all. 

What a strange way to live your life. 

They’ll be the first to crow about how good life is post Venkys if they ever do clear off. Self awareness of David Brent.

[steelcityblue]

2 hours ago, Penwortham Blue said:

You can’t reason with some people. I have paid for my seat by way of ST but I will not attend the game. Something needs to change in order to save this once great club of ours, at the very least I will know that I did what little I could in order to protest and seek such change.

I feel very similar. I’ll be boycotting because I want to give my support when someone (the coalition) is trying to do something to express the despair of the fans at this regime. Do I think it will work? Probably not, but I will have made a stand..at least in my head..my season ticket means my money is already theirs and I doubt my empty seat will be much noticed but I will know I contributed. This has to be the start of something, not the end of something whatever the outcome of the boycott.  Do I want to boycott long term? No. Like many, going to the Rovers means too much to me in ways other than watching football..living away from Blackburn it’s when I see friends I’ve had for years, I won’t abandon those friendships. So I hope the coalition will come up with other perhaps less contentious ways of protesting. Late entry, turning backs to the pitch, protests outside the ground, more banners. An orchestrated deluge of emails or letters to the club/Suhail/Venkys. Even a mass turn up..fill the ground, show what we could be as a fan base. Maybe it’s better to go for persistent, inventive protest that as many as possible of the even slightly disaffected feel able to join in with and builds momentum rather than persisting with the nuclear option that divides the fan base.