Painful Acceptance

[M_B]

4 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Steady on!

They had put the club and its supporters through seven shades of shit before all that....

Indeed, you might argue that the snowball was merely a powerless response

Don't tell me, you threw it🤣

[Tomphil2]

It would be more acceptable if those who caused it all and those who profit from it cleared off never to be seen again.

A cleansing of all the underlying toxicity gone for good and hopefully a rebuild of some sort however modest.

[Leonard Venkhater]

17 minutes ago, M_B said:

Don't tell me, you threw it🤣

Haha. No...but  last year, I did meet a bloke, who claimed the act.

[...]

Can't recall a post ever creating this much response so quickly

[Proudtobeblue&white]

So where does this leave us? If some sad souls don’t even know about the proposed boycott, we have just over a week to get it out there? None of the mates I used to go with go anymore. Empty stadium and one brave person to smuggle in a banner.

20,000+, to nothing, that’s what you’ve done, be proud, because none of us are?

[AllRoversGirl_]

I thought I would add my two pence to this conversation as someone in the coalition and as a fan. 

I used to love football and get excited about watching Blackburn Rovers. 

I don't anymore. Every inch of love has been taken away by a club that desperately needs help. 

Owners who don't care and continue to be absent

Senior management running the club, who do not have the capacity or understanding of what this club means to the community, fans, etc. 

More projects than the Two Ronnies 4 Candles Sketch

I've started watching rugby to fill the void. 

For people who say that we're entitled. People who say we don't ever attend matches. The list could go on

I'll make this simple. I don't want PL football.  

I want my club back.  I want to feel something for Blackburn Rovers

I want owners who care. 

Suhail Pasha and RAO Family

Your time at this football club has to end. It's nothing but short of a disaster 

 

 

 

 

 

[jim mk2]

2 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

So many of these thoughts are exactly how I feel.

I stripped my Rovers room last week (moving house).

Memories going back nearly 50 years, all boxed and no intention of being dIsplayed again. Was going to sell/donate it all, but wife said NO.

Season tickets un-used since turn off the taps were announced.

I wont attend again this season, and wont be renewing either.

Wife may take kids for the rest of season (that will be her choice and it will purely be for the girls), they love their football, but the tradition of my family all being rovers fans, may break as my girls love Mbappe etc and will choose who they support as they get older uninfluenced by tradition.

 

 

Probably an even sadder post than the OP. This chap bleeds blue and white, like we all do, but he's battled hard over many years to break the Venky's regime, at great personal and emotional cost according to his postings - and now even he's given up.

There is cause for optimism here - however slim it might be. It's often said that it is darkest before the dawn and these grimmest of grim times might be the nadir. Something, somewhere, maybe soon, will cause Venky's to sell up and leave.  We have to cling to that hope. 

 

[AHoyle90]

I haven’t posted a whole lot over the years on here but coming across this thread has really hit something inside me.

Hope, that’s all you need as a Football fan isn’t it? I was born in 1990, just too young to remember the title winning team properly but my word had some of the best times of my life watching Souness/Hughes era.

We also had some times under Jack Walker/Graeme Souness where things didn’t go to plan, but you knew there was a plan behind the scenes, a direction, something to get behind, hope…

Nobody is guaranteed Premier League football, no matter how much you spend or how well the club is ran, it’s Football…I don’t think we as a fan base feel entitled to it? I think that is what Rudy Gestede feels with his ‘it isn’t 1995 anymore’ type comments, we just want hope, and the club, its supporters, staff and players to be treated with some common decency.

It’s exhausting but so hard to stay away/out of touch when it’s been a part of your life since you could remember. Some of the worst and most embarrassing days I’ve witnessed at Rovers in the last 15 years but somehow a week removed from a game, something inside me wants to watch and support MY team. I’d go so far as to saying their reign has affected my passion for Football.

I gave up my season ticket after we had just scraped staying up the season they took over, you could see it all coming a mile off, it took them a matter of months to poison the club, and sadly we have lost a GENERATION of fans or potential fans because of this seemingly never ending nightmare.

The neglect of Ewood Park and the infrastructure of the club for 15 years is symbolic of their tenure at the club.

Please, just leave. 

[KidderStreetNoise]

11 hours ago, 47er said:

So why don't they want Rovers to be successful?l

Because if we're successful they have to sell the club

[Penwortham Blue]

11 hours ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Haha. No...but  last year, I did meet a bloke, who claimed the act.

That be Abbey. Remember him well from the 80’s travelling days, a passionate Rovers man who could take no more.

Edited 13 hours ago by Penwortham Blue

[47er]

2 hours ago, KidderStreetNoise said:

Because if we're successful they have to sell the club

Sorry---lost me there.

[DeeCee]

Like several others, I am a long distance Rovers fan, having moved to Cornwall (after a divorce and career change) a few weeks after I went to the play off final.

I first went to Ewood in the late 50s as a babe in arms as my parents had the shop next to the Aquaduct pub. I've continued to support them ever since, following home and away through the 70s and 80s, good times and bad.

I used to plan my trips back up north to see family and friends to coincide with Rovers games. That ended a couple of seasons ago and apart from the odd SW away game I haven't seen the team live since JDT.

I'll support Rovers till I die which unfortunately will be before Venkys leave and I will be the last of my line to support this once great club - my grandkids now support Manure 😢 after their parents separated  and new influences arrived.

Keep the faith everyone, they will be gone at some stage, what state we will be in by then is anyone's guess but there will always be a Blackburn Rovers.

[MarkBRFC]

Yeah can echo a lot of thoughts in here.

My first game as a kid was September 1988 against Oldham at Ewood, first away game was a week later against Stoke.

I'd say I have been obsessed with everything Blackburn Rovers from the start of 1990/91 season after the World Cup in Italy caught everyone's imagination.

Been at all the key games over the years, Wembley 92, Anfield 95, Deepdale 2001, Cardiff, 2002, Doncaster 2018, plus a lot of low ones too that ended in relegations,all over Europe, cup games at Blyth etc

I even stopped playing Sunday mornings in 2010 so I could still watch Rovers as much as possible when my lad was born as couldn't really be out all weekend with a new child.

For me the apathy kicked in after the first relegation and it being clear that nobody in charge was bothered about this great club. Remember choosing to give my garden a complete makeover instead of going to the Peterborough game at Ewood in 2013, nipped inside to get a brew at half time and checked the score to see us 3-0 down, I just shook my head and went back outside to carry on, wasn't even angry. Family was just in complete shock that I was doing that instead of being at the game.

Kept my season ticket for a few more years but found it very easy to miss a game here and there which would have been unthinkable a few years before. Finally gave it up when Owen Coyle was appointed, genuinely thought someone was taking the piss. However I started to take my lad the season before, and he enjoyed it to a degree without being desperate to go again. During this Coyle season he did ask to go a few more times so we did, and I probably ended up spending as much on match tickets as the ST was worth.

Got ST back in league one, a novelty season with winning every week and achieving something at the end of it, and ticking off some new grounds in the process.

6 months into the following season under Mowbray I was at the same stage a few years previous where again, lad was 50/50 into it and when he didn't want to go I just didn't bother, then when covid hit and we had 18 months out I was very close to just not bothering again.

Something changed with my lad in that 18 months though, he had just started high school, got into watching football a lot more despite playing it since he was 5, his mates all went to games watching the local teams to where we live (Stoke & Port Vale mostly) and he was itching to go back to games, so we got ST's again and he has been completely obsessed with Rovers ever since, much like I was back at his age and honestly it rejuvenated me to a degree too to have it to share with him, we have probably been to 90% of weekend games since coming back from covid and any midweek's that have fallen in school holidays, his face when we win is priceless and completely worth it to me.

Sorry this post has gone on longer than I envisaged, I guess where I am at now is that as long as my lad still wants to go then I am in and will go anywhere with him, if he ever gets fed up with it, or in a couple of years he might go to a university far away or something, then if nothing has changed, which I don't think it ever will, then that will probably see me knock Ewood on the head.

I do think I would carry on with a few aways though as I'm lucky to have a really good group of mates that we go with and the days out are always superb win, lose or draw.

 

Edited 8 hours ago by MarkBRFC

[FairviewRover]

Reading these comments is strange... so much of it echoes my own feelings as I posted earlier - but within the reading of other people's stories I must say I am starting to feel more of that sense of community again... it's nice to know I'm not alone and that there are lots of people out there like me.

Within that, maybe there is a glimmer of hope - not for now, but maybe as and when the club does come under new ownership, there are a group of people waiting to rekindle their passion for Rovers and return to Ewood Park... Rovers aren't dying - just lost at the moment I guess.

[MarkBRFC71]

Been a Rovers fan ever since my Dad took me on my first game (think it was Keegan's second game as a Newcastle player) back in August of 1982.  My Dad, his Dad, and HIS Dad were all stalwart Rovers fans, a lineage which goes back almost to the clubs foundation.  Got a season ticket then, and had one pretty much all the way through to 2015/16 when I moved abroad, where I remained until January of this year.  Despite the physical distance (and -6 time difference!) I still watched as many games as possible, via official and at times, erm, non-official means.  I tried to attend games in person every time I was back for a work or personal trip.  Over the years, and I guess because my visits were quite far apart, there was a marked difference at Ewood, both in terms of the dwindling attendance and diminishing atmosphere every time I went.  Off the pitch and behind the scenes, we seemed to be on a downward spiral of incompetence and skullduggery.  Fast forward to this summer.  I had bought a flex ticket in January, and viewed it as a chance to meet with mates again regularly after so long away.  The football was almost secondary - thankfully as there wasn't much to enjoy.  Come this summer and I had all but decided against getting a full season ticket, but in the end I caved and signed up.  I'm not sure I will again, and even now it's more of a chore to go to games than something to be enjoyed - no atmosphere in the ground, cluelessness off the pitch and on the bench, and nothing to see on it.  It's a shell of the club I love, and while I'll always have it in my heart, it will not be difficult to find things that are more rewarding and productive to do.

Edited 7 hours ago by MarkBRFC71

[UncleBill]

I wrote some of my background down for something marketed as the Global Rovers Project and was in communication with club as a participant. To my knowledge this project never came to fruition. But perhaps it might be relevant to this thread, because, honestly, I don't even think I like football anymore. It feels perhaps a little childish but if I can't take pride and joy in watching Rovers, I don't wish to find a substitute. This is what I shared with the clubs communicators, and which got as far as being edited and formatted but never published: 

Disclaimers: this was written before we knew how shit Wahlstedt is, nor can I remember the questions to which I was answering. Nor is the response to question 7 applicable any longer and I might never have the chance with 10

 

 

1. As to how I became a Rovers supporter, I have to say I hadn’t much of a say in it. As far back as anyone can remember, my dad’s side of the family have followed the club. My grandad, who had something of a penchant for spurious tales, always told us that his grandfather, Harry Walmsley had been Vice President of the club. We had very little evidence to this, aside from a silver tankard dedicated to a Mr H. Walmsley, team dentist, of all things. To my dad and uncle, this was just one of my grandad’s many flights of fancy. However, not long ago, earlier this summer in fact, my dad was in contact with the club with a view to selling his match worn Terry Genoe jersey from the early 1980’s, since as chance may have it, neither the club or Terry himself were in possession of one. He was invited to meet the club archivists and have a tour of the stadium. He recounted the same ‘tale’ to the archivists, who in turn produced several documents proving my grandad to be right all along! So, you could in many ways describe the club as being part of my family.
2. I suppose this ties very much into the above. The club feels like my home, and its brought me no end of pride and joy to see what might once have been a smaller unfashionable club reach the heights they have, when so many can say the same for the clubs they love, respectively. The club is Blackburn in many ways, and the intersectional work they do in the community, be it with multi faith fans, supporting social issues, or promoting grass roots football really make it a pillar of the community.
3. My first match, or so I’m told, was a 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the 1992-93 seasons. Being 3 at the time I have no recollection of it but I’ll take my dad’s word for it (he’s a far more reliable narrator than the aforementioned grandad). I don’t truthfully remember much from 94-95 either, aside from Tim Flower’s red jersey and my Merlin sticker collection. My first real memories were of the 1995-96 season when my dad bought me my first season ticket. I hadn’t the slightest understanding what Kenny Dalglish’s now role was, but revelling in chanting ‘Championes’ from the Blackburn End nonetheless.
4. Goalkeepers have always been my heroes. To begin with my dad was one, but more pertinently I adored Tim Flowers. I remember how he used to celebrate with the Blackburn End after every win, though why he was allowed to wear Uhlsport branded shorts over the club branded ones remains a mystery to me to this day. Next came John Filan, whose name I had printed on the back of my shirt, followed by a strange affinity for Alan Kelly, who in my mind at the time could do no wrong. I remember crying at the top of the stairs when Brad Friedel was bought to club to replace him, having not at all been impressed with at Liverpool. But then of course, the rest of that tale is history, and who could wish for a better goalkeeping role model than Brad
5.  As for my favourite memories, the most significant memory I have is the Worthington Cup Final, where Brad Friedel was of course, really began the course to legendary status. I remember the trepidation as we held on for the final whistle, I could not sit still for trembling. More prosaically I remember the matches where I got to sit with my grandad. My grandad, Barry Illsley, was commentator for Radio Hospitals for 50 years, and every now and again I was enlisted as support. He wasn’t particularly good at commentating; he once failed to distinguish Dwight Yorke from David Dunn, but to see how appreciated he was by the staff and his peers alike was deeply touching. Plus, I got to chat with Glen Keeley and Kevin Gallagher, and the pies in the press room were fantastic.
6. Sadly, since I moved to Sweden in 2017, I’ve not had the opportunity to attend a match, home or away, but I follow the matches semi-religiously through a combination of the broadcasts available to international fans and the matches picked up by Viaplay (via Sky Sports). When I can I quite enjoy watching the latter matches in Gothenburg’s sports bars, where I’m frequently met with confusion as to why I’d want that to be shown over whichever Champion League match is being broadcast, but each to their own.
7. I have a much pride as ever, unless I’m in Trelleborg. We don’t talk about Trelleborg. Many Swedes my own age and older are well aware of the club, and it feels like a lot of them appreciate the playing connections the club has had with Sweden in the past (apart from Trelleborg. And Sven Göran Eriksson).
8. Yes, if my dad counts? We usually talk, quite ruefully of late, following every match. Otherwise, mostly via the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. I know there are Swedish Rovers supporters but Sweden is huge so I’ve yet to seen one in the wild, so to speak.
9. To be quite honest, given the chance I tell people more or less exactly what I’ve recalled to you, which must be quite annoying. I do enjoy meeting Swedes familiar with the club though. Morten Gamst Pedersen and Tugay are always good conversation starters, though Patrik Andersson, the player we could have had, is a popular conversation topic with my father in law and relatives. I’m quietly confident Leo Wahlstedt will be the next big connection; I’m crossing my fingers that he wins SVFFs goalkeeper of the year for which he was recently nominated.
10. I have no desire to force my interests on my children, but part of me is awaiting the day when both my daughter’s are old enough to go to a match at Ewood Park. Just to share with them, a fraction of the experiences my family and I have had - even if its just the once, would make me feel like I’d be making my grandad proud.

Edited 7 hours ago by UncleBill

[...]

96 people have like the Original post here. All sharing the same sentiment fingers crossed we all share the same opinion on the Watford Boycott

[dallydally]

Good on you. Needs more to have the guts to make this stance. I did the same about three years ago. We need these scabs out of our club

[lraC]

The original post must be the most liked post on here ever, or very close to it.

Can the mods print that and all the comments off and send it recorded to Pasha Gestede and Ismael and ask them to comment on it in the local media.

I know they won’t, but let’s do this and get the story out, as it is all heartfelt and it would be a shame to waste it. 

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, lraC said:

The original post must be the most liked post on here ever, or very close to it.

Can the mods print that and all the comments off and send it recorded to Pasha Gestede and Ismael and ask them to comment on it in the local media.

I know they won’t, but let’s do this and get the story out, as it is all heartfelt and it would be a shame to waste it. 

That original post would be ideal for the LT if they had the cajones to print it - which they won't.

[lraC]

17 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

That original post would be ideal for the LT if they had the cajones to print it - which they won't.

It’s a perfect opportunity for them, given that the reporter is currently banned from the ground.

A groundswell of support for the boycott, could be tied in to a theme. Ban the local paper and we come out in solidarity. 

[Upside Down]

Much like everyone else who has shared their story, I too have been driven away from the club that I love.

Born in Blackburn and attended my first match in 94 I think it was. Remember us winning the league and seeing absolute Goliaths of the game like Alan Shearer, Tugay, Friedel, Duff etc all wearing the famous blue and white halves. The 2000s were probably the best time ever to support the club. We were a serious challenge for any team that came our way, challenging for European competitions, the cup semi finals and the league cup victory. All of this done on a budget of next to nothing (comparatively), just great organisation and everyone from the directors to the fans all pulling in the same direction. It was magnificent. It was thrilling. It was something you were really proud to be a part of.

Then came the darkest day in the history of the club and town. The arrival of the cancer that is venkys. Within a couple of months they had turned this community into a money-go-round where the well connected could bury their disgusting snouts. What was once a source of immense pride was quickly turned into a source of great shame. 

I had these people sussed very quickly and could see almost straight away what they were about. I could see very early that protesting inside or outside the ground wasn't going to have any effect. The only option whereby I could retain some dignity and show my distain for them was to completely withdraw any financial support. I have always had to graft to earn my wage. Giving even a single penny to them would be allowing them to take the piss out of me and I have far too much self respect to allow that. 

I completely walked away, not just from Rovers but from football as a whole for 10 years. What was happening with Rovers was not unique, it was becoming endemic throughout the game. Rovers are just a microcosm of this, a huge community asset stripped of all real value and just turned into a revenue source for the already wealthy. 

After ending up in the hospital for a week or so due to some pretty life changing issues I found myself once again taking some interest in Rovers. I could immediately see that absolutely nothing had changed in the 10 years I had been away and I had missed absolutely nothing. I was both surprised and disgusted to find that a section of the fanbase not only didn't see venkys as a problem but were supportive of them. I found this incomprehensible and left me wondering what plane of reality these people existed in. 

After the appointment of JDT and then Eustace it looked as though there was a slim possibility that the team might manage to get themselves into the playoffs and possibly promoted. Naturally and to absolutely no surprise venkys deliberately did everything they could do to sabotage these efforts and prevent it from happening. 

So basically I'm now at the point I was when they first arrived. I am completely withdrawn from any emotional connections to the club and I honestly couldn't give a shit about what happens. The recent discussion of a boycott, something which I was calling for 15 years ago, and the response and resistance to this has left me even more resigned. I just don't care anymore.

The one thing that has been positive about the club and community in that time is this website. 

BRFCS is the only thing Rovers that I can get any enjoyment out of. The community here is great and is a reminder of what supporting Blackburn Rovers used to be and still should be. 

If the club came under new ownership I would probably take more of an interest but the whole game is completely gone. It's boring to watch. The corruption is so in your face and it gets made clearer every year that working people are not welcome. 

Anyway, here's to J*B, Herbie, KHod and everyone else involved with this great space. Also massive respect to thise of you who are part of the Coalition particularly Glen Mullan. Your efforts are what give me some semblance of hope that we may one day be able to wrestle back our culture from the greedy hands of the super wealthy.

[Tugayslongwalkoff]

20 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

 

Probably an even sadder post than the OP. This chap bleeds blue and white, like we all do, but he's battled hard over many years to break the Venky's regime, at great personal and emotional cost according to his postings - and now even he's given up.

There is cause for optimism here - however slim it might be. It's often said that it is darkest before the dawn and these grimmest of grim times might be the nadir. Something, somewhere, maybe soon, will cause Venky's to sell up and leave.  We have to cling to that hope. 

 

The only thing I see making them leave is either old age or their chicken choking empire disintegrating.

[Tomphil2]

13 minutes ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

The only thing I see making them leave is either old age or their chicken choking empire disintegrating.

Perhaps the older ones have already stepped away from it all and have just left it in the hands of their finance people because they don't trust their younger nearest and dearest with the keys to the safe.

[Tugayslongwalkoff]

28 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

Perhaps the older ones have already stepped away from it all and have just left it in the hands of their finance people because they don't trust their younger nearest and dearest with the keys to the safe.

Possibly. People ask why they’re still here, it has to be one of two things in my opinion. 
 

A - They are happy to leave us in limbo in the hope we will have a miraculous season whereby we are promoted on peanuts - waiting for the day somebody informs them that has happened and they can return to the stage as conquering heroes. 

B - They’re scared of what shady business dealings will be uncovered from their tenure during any potential takeover. 
 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Tugayslongwalkoff