[Archived] Rovers Re-Branding Aka Bringing The Pride Back Aka A Fresh Start

[tomphil]

From what I've seen floating about on twitter there are one or two clubs planning on ST's not to dissimilar to ours next season. Although most of em will be capable of shifting more than us of course.

[bubblerrovers]

I hear what your saying but the truth is there is nothing we can do, the reality is unless we get a takeover with wild investment we're only heading one way. The atmosphere at Ewood has been so poor for so many years, I hear more singing at cricket matches, it's hard for fans to get behind the team when they so rarely give us anything to get us excited. I like many are now sick of going to watch the rovers produce nothing, 8/10 times i leave watching rovers thinking why do I bother. I think the club should offer free tickets to the under 16's it's the only way I can see us keeping a fanbase. I really hope I'm wrong but everything about Blackburn Rovers seems tired, even the ground is starting to grow mould

[Paul]

Heroes aren't manufactured heroes come about through their own attitude. Rovers have had plenty of heroes through the decades and none were created as a marketing ploy.

I'm quite surprised by a suggestion we should "market" our young players in this way. Marketing is a long way from reality. Decent footballers don't need marketing and we don't have many of those.

First thing we need to do is fill the nine positions where we don't have a player good enough for the first team. Do that and a hero will appear.

No marketing initiative will ever have an impact without a decent football team on the pitch.

[tomphil]

Cult heroes often develop in bad times as well as good and they are often a bit different to your standard heroes. Last real cult hero we had was probably Dunny and that only came about really because of his exploits v Dingles. Before that he just fell into the local lad done good mould.

[Stuart]

Heroes aren't manufactured heroes come about through their own attitude. Rovers have had plenty of heroes through the decades and none were created as a marketing ploy.

I'm quite surprised by a suggestion we should "market" our young players in this way. Marketing is a long way from reality. Decent footballers don't need marketing and we don't have many of those.

First thing we need to do is fill the nine positions where we don't have a player good enough for the first team. Do that and a hero will appear.

No marketing initiative will ever have an impact without a decent football team on the pitch.

The crux of my point is to better market/celebrate the players we have now rather than keep showing footage from 10-plus years ago. The 90s and even 2002 are ancient history to the next generation of Rovers fans. Keeping on harping back to the good old days is not going to endear them to the fans. The youngsters can barely identify with Tugay or Friedal so why keep promoting them in the way we are?

Perhaps "market" and "heroes" should be in inverted comments but we need to look to move on. Under Lambert, if not under Venkys.

We need bums back on seats and Rovers fans are traditionally a proud, principled, even belligerent bunch. They "aren't coming back until Venkys leave" - or they get souvenir 1960 FA Cup final tickets hand delivered by those who got tickets at their expense. All that's left is a shell.

It's no use saying that there's nothing we or the club can do. We have to. I'm at the point where I'm all cried out over the last five years.

We need to get some pride back and our voices. The crowd need to learn to champion the players that are here and now. Yes, it's a two way street, yes, they should entertain to provoke a reaction but we are in control of our own voices. We need a vocal group (the away contingent) to power through and generate an atmosphere at home. The club need to look at ways to accommodate the singers - unreserved seating in sections of the BBE for instance. Watching re-runs of Shearer, Jansen, Cole and Tugay is just misery making. People who want that can get the DVDs. It's time to stop showing them at Ewood before matches.

There, I said it.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

The only way that Rovers can generate interest is by winning games. In the 80s gates doubled when the team started winning and were at the top rather than mid table.

If Lambert can get a winning team next season and we are in the promotion mix come Christmas then crowds will start reappearing. Come May 2017 and we are in the mix gates will look healthier but the first real task is to win games consistently.

At the moment any re-branding will be seen as trying to hide the problems facing our beloved club.

[tomphil]

They should just have flashed a giant image of Jerome Anderson onto the screen before West Ham. That would have stirred the crowd and it's going to take something drastic to get a reaction out of Ewood these days

[sambo]

The crux of my point is to better market/celebrate the players we have now rather than keep showing footage from 10-plus years ago. The 90s and even 2002 are ancient history to the next generation of Rovers fans. Keeping on harping back to the good old days is not going to endear them to the fans. The youngsters can barely identify with Tugay or Friedal so why keep promoting them in the way we are?

Perhaps "market" and "heroes" should be in inverted comments but we need to look to move on. Under Lambert, if not under Venkys.

We need bums back on seats and Rovers fans are traditionally a proud, principled, even belligerent bunch. They "aren't coming back until Venkys leave" - or they get souvenir 1960 FA Cup final tickets hand delivered by those who got tickets at their expense. All that's left is a shell.

It's no use saying that there's nothing we or the club can do. We have to. I'm at the point where I'm all cried out over the last five years.

We need to get some pride back and our voices. The crowd need to learn to champion the players that are here and now. Yes, it's a two way street, yes, they should entertain to provoke a reaction but we are in control of our own voices. We need a vocal group (the away contingent) to power through and generate an atmosphere at home. The club need to look at ways to accommodate the singers - unreserved seating in sections of the BBE for instance. Watching re-runs of Shearer, Jansen, Cole and Tugay is just misery making. People who want that can get the DVDs. It's time to stop showing them at Ewood before matches.

There, I said it.

I agree that the atmosphere issue needs to be addressed. The Darwen End has been fantastic, but I do fear that the numbers in there make it unfit for purpose. However, simply telling them to sit in the BBE probably won’t help, as in all likeliness they’ll be scattered around. A block in the BBE for singers would be ideal – it doesn’t have to be unreserved particularly, but at least it’d be an area where people are more likely to stand. I remember reading about one ground (forgot where) where they use a common sense approach, simply advising fans that people are likely to stand in a certain area and stewarding it accordingly. Currently, the singers are dotted around Ewood, and our ‘home end’ only really wakes up when we have a sustained period of pressure or it’s a big game.

[Rover_Shaun]

When do the auditions start?

What are the criteria for entry?

Isn't there already a singing section in the Darren End?

What is there to sing about?

[Mattyblue]

I agree that the atmosphere issue needs to be addressed. The Darwen End has been fantastic, but I do fear that the numbers in there make it unfit for purpose. However, simply telling them to sit in the BBE probably won’t help, as in all likeliness they’ll be scattered around. A block in the BBE for singers would be ideal – it doesn’t have to be unreserved particularly, but at least it’d be an area where people are more likely to stand. I remember reading about one ground (forgot where) where they use a common sense approach, simply advising fans that people are likely to stand in a certain area and stewarding it accordingly. Currently, the singers are dotted around Ewood, and our ‘home end’ only really wakes up when we have a sustained period of pressure or it’s a big game.

Probably a good chance that Darwen End will be closed to home fans next season.

To try and keep singers together, the Darwen Enders can be informed through social media and/or in their season ticket renewal pack that the end two blocks of the Riverside or the Jack Walker lower tier (DEnd side), or one of the Blackburn End blocks is the new singing section.

[Speedie Dived]

A huge step in the right direction for us will come when safe standing comes back on the menu when the current Hillsborough enquiry closes.

If you make the Blackburn end safe standing, bring the Darwen end back to the Blackburn end then we will have a packed, loud end.

I would also give the entire Darwen end to every away team.

A my final radical point would be to let people in for FREE, if we get promoted. You get £60m, our gates wont clear past £3million. It's pocket change.

The PR that the club would get would be superb, i include away fans in this as well.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Most of this side Stu are simply not good enough....the majority of fans dont rate them.We have zero 'characters' NOBODY within Ewood who the fans can identify with.

There is no love there but then folk wonder why there is more atmosphere on the Moon than Ewood?

[Mike Graham]

Embarrassed that the Premier Suite v WHU was 90% full of WHU fans.

[Stuart]

Most of this side Stu are simply not good enough....the majority of fans dont rate them.We have zero 'characters' NOBODY within Ewood who the fans can identify with.

There is no love there but then folk wonder why there is more atmosphere on the Moon than Ewood?

It's all relative though. Why can clubs in League One and below gave supporters who chant and sing? Or have players that the fans enjoy watching?

Maybe it's me and every ground is as quiet as Ewood but there is always a vocal away contingent. Even Rovers away fans are more vociferous than our home crowds. We need to harness that somehow. Start small and build on it.

Away followings are always packed together. Because people are naturally stand-offish and was always leave gaps, the club may need to force people together. Closing certain stands or areas may be the only way.

Flatline season ticket prices around the ground a la cup games, to encourage 'quieter people' to move to the sides, make the DE away fans only, with the Rovers flag over the current home fan part, keep BBE upper for families, and BBE lower for singing with supervised standing.

[Ben-2000]

As mentioned on another thread, there is currently a fan led initiative to give the Darwen End a bit of a boost.

The Huddersfield game has been earmarked for this which will allow plenty of time for it to be sorted.

They are asking for fans to buy/transfer their tickets there for the one game as a trial to see what the fans can do when they come together and put in a big effort to be vocal and back the team. There is also talk of flags and a drum

This area is unreserved and allows people to group together who want to stand/sing. Perfect opportunity imo, I just hope fellow fans back it.

[Stuart]

As mentioned on another thread, there is currently a fan led initiative to give the Darwen End a bit of a boost.

The Huddersfield game has been earmarked for this which will allow plenty of time for it to be sorted.

They are asking for fans to buy/transfer their tickets there for the one game as a trial to see what the fans can do when they come together and put in a big effort to be vocal and back the team. There is also talk of flags and a drum

This area is unreserved and allows people to group together who want to stand/sing. Perfect opportunity imo, I just hope fellow fans back it.

It's a great idea. I guess the worry is that promoting the DE is seems as thumbing a nose at the BBE. Since relegation, rather than 'taking back Ewood' as it first started, it seems to have created two factions. And halved the noise from both stands.

This needs publicising to the BBE faithful as an initiative, or trial even, which might generate some pressure for change in the BBE.

Hope it's successful.

[Tom]

It would be unpopular and people would not be happy at first but next season I would close the Darwen End and make an unreserved area in the Blackburn end.

As it stands neither side create any atmosphere either through lack of desire to or lack of numbers, the only way is to bring it together.

[Ben-2000]

As mentioned though this is completely fan led... Hopefully people will see it for exactly what it is - getting an atmosphere back!

Come and join us Stuart!

[Paul]

Most of this side Stu are simply not good enough....the majority of fans dont rate them.We have zero 'characters' NOBODY within Ewood who the fans can identify with.

There is no love there but then folk wonder why there is more atmosphere on the Moon than Ewood?

This man is right.

I admire your effort Stuart but to be honest this sort of thing was discussed even in the good times. The ONLY thing which will get the crowd going is a decent team. There is simply no buzz about Ewood because the football is so poor.

With 2,perhaps 3, exceptions we need any entire team signing to have any chance of improving on the current position. Is it going to happen? I doubt it.

[patrickvalery]

Competition. The stand which hits the highest decibels wins three points for a win. One for a draw and none for a loss. At the end of the season everyone in that stand who's a season ticket holder gets a 5% discount off next year's.

It's childish I know but I love a game.

[tomphil]

As mentioned on another thread, there is currently a fan led initiative to give the Darwen End a bit of a boost.

The Huddersfield game has been earmarked for this which will allow plenty of time for it to be sorted.

They are asking for fans to buy/transfer their tickets there for the one game as a trial to see what the fans can do when they come together and put in a big effort to be vocal and back the team. There is also talk of flags and a drum

This area is unreserved and allows people to group together who want to stand/sing. Perfect opportunity imo, I just hope fellow fans back it.

Great idea and something that Huddersfield themselves did towards the end of last season I believe. This problem of lack of atmosphere isn't unique to Ewood as both Hudds and Burnley have given home fans the opportunity to sit next to the away ones at various games in the hope of creating a counter to the noise visiting fans tend to make.

[Stuart]

This man is right.

I admire your effort Stuart but to be honest this sort of thing was discussed even in the good times. The ONLY thing which will get the crowd going is a decent team. There is simply no buzz about Ewood because the football is so poor.

With 2,perhaps 3, exceptions we need any entire team signing to have any chance of improving on the current position. Is it going to happen? I doubt it.

We need some self-starters these days. The fans have a part to play in encouraging the players and even putting pressure on the ref. Sitting there mute isn't going to help change it.

If you aren't enjoying it, maybe it's time to stop going and give your seat to someone who will contribute.

And we didn't wistfully discuss the football being played 20 years earlier during the good times.

[ABBEY]

I have not enjoyed it since vday but I wont let them beat me

[Roverbiff]

We need some self-starters these days. The fans have a part to play in encouraging the players and even putting pressure on the ref. Sitting there mute isn't going to help change it.

If you aren't enjoying it, maybe it's time to stop going and give your seat to someone who will contribute.

And we didn't wistfully discuss the football being played 20 years earlier during the good times.

I have been giving this some thought for a few days and I can remember the times when we had various branches of supporters clubs from all over that used to revel in trying to out do each other in various ways, Darwen Blues, Mellor, Chorley,Helmshore etc and the Accy Blues driven by Paul Astley of which I was an active member for many years starting from the dark days of the 3rd division.

In those days the shirt was the only thing that mattered to us, not so much who was inside it or picking who was wearing it, but the fact that it identified us as Blackburn Rovers and could not be confused with anyone else.

There was also co-operation between the various branches, as it was well known that the Accy branch coach was always going to run to away games, no matter how many were on (16 to Millwall and the Old Den!!) and if someone from another branch had a few members who wanted to travel, they only had to get a message to Paul and they would be welcome.

Various events were organised throughout the season,from guest nights with players as speakers to inter branch five a side competitions, and all through this the club supported us, even though they were skint, and we supported the club, even though they were sh1t!!

Birdy and his coaches are the closest thing I suppose to what we had that is still going and well done to them, but there is also a regular bus to home games and away matches from various pubs in Darwen, Craiven Heffer Spinners to name but 2, at Fenni the Station runs trips, there are coaches to Ewood from pubs in Rishton and I would imagine there are others that I don't know about probably from other outlying areas.

The point I am getting at is that there is probably a great deal of banter,singing and support for Rovers from all these various factions,either in the pub beforehand or on their buses on the way to the ground, but once at the ground I would imagine the vast majority will go and sit in their own seats in different stands and the atmosphere is lost.

Imagine if we could keep those people together and boost their identities in their own right with the help of the club maybe, a set of unique flags for the Station,Darwen,Rishton,London!

Each area gets it's own player who will attend events thereby creating heroes or not!!

You get my drift??

After all football is tribal and although we all support the same god in Rovers, we all revel in our own little bunches and as such we feel more comfortable together this could eventually lead to sections where the same groups sit together and bring the atmosphere generated before the game into the ground with them.

Thoughts??

[Jock]

Helmshore Blues, that brings back memories. Most of them being lifted by the West Midlands Corrupt Police at Fellows Dump.