[Archived] 'taking Back' The Darwen End

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I have to say what a FANtastic success and atmosphere to see and hear the Darwen End lower full of Rovers fans today.....didn't hear the Wigan fans all game.Having fans on all four sides created a wall of sound and seemed to give our team a massive,massive lift.

The club has to look at replicating this next season,give the whole of the Darwen end over to the big local teams purely for safety reasons but for the rest of the games banish the away fans to the top tier....a 3,000 allocation will be more than enough for most.

The ticket offer was clearly a great success and saw some 4/5,000 extra Rovers fans giving their support on top of the regular 19,000.....it clearly demonstrates the support is out there.Make that area of the ground unrestricted seating, even a pay on the day turnstile,the Rovers fans responded lets hope the club acts upon it.

Even Andy Gray commented on the great atmosphere.....FFS!!

[Gav]

To have fans on both ends is a winner all day long SG, but sadly we can't get such support on a regular basis, or I'm sure the club would act accordingly.

Must say a number of my mates who have deserted the club in the recent season thought the possibility of being able to sit together a real draw today. Maybe the club need to look more carefully at unreserved seating because to many it’s really important.

Great effort today by the fans, but to be honest the support last week at Stoke was equally as good, but the team just didn’t perform on that occasion.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I know we've done this to death before Gav but I DO believe we can get 24/25,000 home fans on a regular basis if there are more price initiatives like this 3 for 20 quid offer.

The support and potential IS there.

[Ossydave]

Unreserved seating is a massive draw to lads like me.

End of the day though the only reason it was so full was the 3 for 20 deal.

[DE.]

With the right price incentives I think we could definately average 21/22k ... moving up to 24/25 regularly IF we're winning matches and/or entertaining fans.

[Gav]

I know we've done this to death before Gav but I DO believe we can get 24/25,000 home fans on a regular basis if there are more price initiatives like this 3 for 20 quid offer.

The support and potential IS there.

Unless you charge supporters £20 for 3 games every few weeks throughout the season, you'll not get the support you crave SG.

The club have massively reduced season ticket prices, but unless you come up with initiatives every month or so the fans just won't come in similar numbers as today, and the club can't do that because you'll lose the season ticket holders.........

John Williams is a great guy in my eyes, but he's on a hiding to nothing here.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Unreserved seating is a massive draw to lads like me.

End of the day though the only reason it was so full was the 3 for 20 deal.

If that what it needs to make atmospheres like to today happen more often then so be it....

[JAL]

At this stage in the season this offer opens itself up to all those local lads who play local league football as the Blackburn combination and Sunday leagues come almost to a close barring the finals for the combination.

Theres potential here for at least 300 plus i'd say then add friends and family the figure can soon rise to a thousand.

Anyhow well done to all in implementing the initiative and those taking advantage of it.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Gav,the club makes very little on season tickets and gate money compared to the coin from the Sky gravy train as we all know.

Drop the season ticket prices even more AND introduce more 3 for 20 quid games......bullocks to it! lets have more atmospheres like today.

Lets be the first club to start the ball rolling as to speak!

[RevidgeBlue]

An unreserved seating area is very much on the Club's "to do" list following consultation with the Fans Forum.

At the moment they're looking at the JW lower Blackburn End. (Return of the Blackburn End enclosure?)

However how marvellous it was to see the Darwen end stuffed full of Rovers fans. What a difference it made. Like a different stadium.

If only we could replicate that every home game.

[Stuart]

We were discussing this as we left Ewood today.

What if we made Darwen end seating the 'cheap seats' on a first come first served basis? Maybe a season ticket which didn't include the category A games at a reduced "per game" price similar to the £20 for 3 games price. Would this just move people from the Riverside and Blackburn ends? I don't know, but I just wonder about the economics of having a full stand for most of the home games. If we could replicate today's atmosphere for all home games we may end up higher in the league than we might otherwise. An once people are in the habit of coming to games there would be increased demand in the other stands for the category A games.

Just a thought.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Glad to hear the club is considering it Rev but we need fans in that Darwen end too....just like the old days.It's great to know there will be similar numbers in the Darwen end at the Pompey and WBA games.

Once again, what a difference today.

[RevidgeBlue]

At the moment maybe, but not if they can get the BBE going as well?

Personally I thought it could create quite a little cauldron in that corner.

To be fair that's not a view shared by several forum members who wanted it in the Darwen end side of the Fraser Eagle.

[roversmum]

Probably those who already sit in the JWL Rev

[RevidgeBlue]

Probably those who already sit in the JWL Rev

As I understand it you're central and not in that section anyway mum?

[stuwilky]

Probably those who already sit in the JWL Rev

Exactlt the problem with such a scheme, it upsets the people who sit there (probably the reason they wont look at the Blackburn End - the most obvious area for such a scheme surely?) although when we have areas of the ground we could utilise sat empty match over match.

The away fans should be in the top tier, even if we do not use the Darren End, they do it at other clubs, shove them as far away as possible.

[RevidgeBlue]

Exactlt the problem with such a scheme, it upsets the people who sit there (probably the reason they wont look at the Blackburn End - the most obvious area for such a scheme surely?) although when we have areas of the ground we could utilise sat empty match over match.

The away fans should be in the top tier, even if we do not use the Darren End, they do it at other clubs, shove them as far away as possible.

According to the club, the number of ST holders in the JW lower BBE side, in the area they're considering, is very low relatively speaking.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Today illustrated that people will attend games (regardless of the quality of football) if the pricing structure is right. Fair play to the board.

People have commented on the atmosphere and crowd size at Stoke, where again the footballing quality is dubious. Stoke and perhaps Bolton's (under Allardyce) fans had a different mindset to ours.

Both these clubs came out of the Championship playing the long ball brand of football and enjoyed some success in the Premier. As such, the fans accept the football on offer and revel in the relative success it has brought.

Rovers have achieved a fair bit of success trying to play some attractive football and the fans are reluctant to accept the long ball - though I accept that this is probably the only way we will stay up - as were the bullyboy tactics when Hughes replaced Souness. However, Hughes did say that he would improve the football the following season and was true to his word, Allardyce has voiced no such intention and the club are unlikely to attract any star names next season.

This season (providing we stay up) may well prove a bit of a watershed in terms of support, as many ST holders I know, have no intention of renewing based on the standard of football they've seen. I

If Allardyce is going to continue with the long ball and indeed the club have no money to replace a pretty poor squad then they need to state that now. In order to maintain a 20k + fan base the club will need to slash pricing in line with the recent offer. Fans can then make an informed decision and those that go will not be able to grumble about the quality on offer and then perhaps, the atmosphere of today will be maintained and fans will adopt the Stoke fan's mentality of simply competing above our level.

Today we perhaps witnessed a blue print for the future both on and off the field..........

[American]

The club needs a partial season ticket scheme (one of the things lacking with most clubs over here). Like was said earlier, put the lesser matches on a reduced general admission plan. Not everyone can get to every match, so they decide to just buy them as they can. Then on the day of the match, they get lazy and decide not to go, or watch it on Sky.

Put matches like this in a package and you'll get at least a few hundred or so more, I would guess.

[Ossydave]

According to the club, the number of ST holders in the JW lower BBE side, in the area they're considering, is very low relatively speaking.

Half the people there are staff ST holders? Worst place I've ever sat too.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

This season (providing we stay up) may well prove a bit of a watershed in terms of support, as many ST holders I know, have no intention of renewing based on the standard of football they've seen. I

If Allardyce is going to continue with the long ball and indeed the club have no money to replace a pretty poor squad then they need to state that now. In order to maintain a 20k + fan base the club will need to slash pricing in line with the recent offer. Fans can then make an informed decision and those that go will not be able to grumble about the quality on offer and then perhaps, the atmosphere of today will be maintained and fans will adopt the Stoke fan's mentality of simply competing above our level.

Today we perhaps witnessed a blue print for the future both on and off the field..........

Excellent points and I totally agree...the club may have no other option but to further slash prices.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Well according to people who attended the recent fans forum season ticket details will be "exciting."

[Bob the Builder]

Makes a change that when the club has done of these initiatives and it’s got a decent response from the Blackburn public, that we have had a decent game. You can’t hope to turn someone into a regular punter when the games they go to are dull and with no atmosphere, think back to the £15 Bolton game three or four years ago.

I also think it’s good that the club have linked the promotion together. If we get 2 good games out of the 3 we might get a few more converts/addicts. Get a youngster to two or three games and they will be hooked for life, it works for the tobacco industry, why not Rovers. I hope the club repeat it in future seasons.

Also it was fantastic to walk back up Bolton Rd up towards Darwen and not feel like I’m the away fan.

[BRFC Casuals]

Must say it was very interesting today the total difference of the type of fan rovers got in the d/e today many of them not been to a match for years, quite a few asian families, little old ladies, posh middle aged ladies, very young kids this is just the type of fans we need to attract it gives them a taste of ewood park.

Was working to day big difference as i usually deal with drunken away fans and was talkin to a thirty something asian mother who managed to lose her husband there she was in a full sari telling me in broken english how much she and all her family were enjoying it now thats just amazing isnt it ?

Mind you no matter what rovers do they cant please all the people i had four guys stagger in five mins before kick off demanding four seats so they could all sit together ...........

[Blue blood]

Well I have to say three premiership games each costing under £7 is fantastic value.

Put it in perspective that's the same price I paid to watch Carlisle play Stockport (and they wonder why their attendances are falling). When you chuck in the effort the players put in today and the atmosphere - nevermind the result - I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find better value for money anywhere in terms of entertainment. It's roughly the same cost as going to the cinema and no one talks about that for hours after. Big winner IMO.

Additionally it was great to help generate more atmosphere at the ground. I've sat pretty much everywhere in the ground supporting rovers and one thing which makes a huge difference is if you're sat nearer the away fans in either of the side stands it can feel a lot less like a home game. I imagine this is how it is felt by the players too. By having a bunch of rovers fans in the darwin end this helps make the whole ground a more intimidating home atmosphere as well as relieving the blackburn end of some of the pressure of starting chants and the like.