I had a dream last night I missed me train and lost me match tickets

Cheers SMc_Celtic Have a word with your 57,199 mates would you - make sure they're on side ! ? Seriously, I'm sure it'll be absolutely fantastic and no trouble - can't wait

The best way, Debs, was to look on the messageboards. It was obvious from there, that there would be a massive demand. Hmm .. .this board has under 900 members, under 200 (at a guess) contribute ... I doubt it's good business to start making commercial decisions which potentially affect 20,000 plus fans by taking too much notice of what's said on here. That said, didn't we learn from a fairly reliable source last year that an eye from on high does monitor this ?

As things are I don't entirely agree - as a London exile I have no sane reason to own a season ticket when Ewood's supply over demand capacity and Rovers sh*te away following allows me to buy a ticket whenever I want one. You start losing money on a ST as soon as you miss 2 games if I remember my calculations in the summer. I suppose we're both correct - if Rovers introduced draconian rules which restricted my following of Rovers as a non ST holder in any way whatsoever, personally I'd buy a season ticket, even if I only got to half the home games and wept over the wasted money on the others - so ST sales might go up. On the other hand, if they did such a thing, how many of the non-ST holders who regularly boost attendances from the 16,000 ST base to well into the 20s would walk away feeling hard done by ? A lot of these travel considerable distances and probably actually spend far more in a season than STs living in Blackburn ... and in a town the size of Blackburn, Rovers need their support. Rovers need to strike a sensible balance ... I think they do at the moment ... and once again, they hardly ever need to make these judgements in any case.

The fact is, when all the fuss has died down, there is hardly ever a time when any points system will be needed. FA cup games - you get 20% of the stadium anyway. Hardly any team we could draw would present a problem for Rovers fans in the FA Cup except away to a local non-league or 3rd Division side - and most would probably switch the tie to Ewood for the money. With the run to Cardiff last season, was there ever a time when someone who wanted a ticket didn't get one ? I know people started panicking about Cardiff but 30,000 went - and as I've already mentioned a fair few haven't been seen since. Have we sold out an away league game up until Arsenal this season ? No, and that went onto open sale. We didn't even sell out at Citeh. And there is no other draw in the UEFA which could do this. Maybe United away will bring em all out and good luck to them (personally it's probably the away game I care about the least) - and for that one game you offer it to season ticket holders with 3 away stubs, then non ST's with 3 away stubs and STs with 2. I can't think of a single other fixture where a points system or equivalent is needed.

For anyone who doesn't know him, Jordan, at the age of 19, has been to the last 92 games home and away. For the trip to Sofia he went straight from West Brom to Heathrow, slept on the floor there, went to Sofia, came back, slept on another floor and got up at 6am to go to Spurs. If Rovers don't sort him out a ticket it would be shocking.

Who took Tris up on the bet? Ain't it a bad idea talking sh*te at 1am after a load of ale ? DOH Can't wait to see all the woodwork crawlers (and lets face it there must be a hell of a lot in the 2,800) away at Southampton ...

Got through from London Ended up using landline and mobile and just kept pressing redial on both madness

Circo - keep trying the phone Got through on the 948th redial attempt We're down to the restricted view tickets, so must be under 900 left.

Got through on the 948th redial attempt We're down to the restricted view tickets, so must be under 900 left.

1) Which is half the problem Rev, and we're attacking it from different ends - if no-one is interested in watching us play psg why should those same dis-interested folk expect to get Celtic tickets ? Yeah it's a plum fixture, but Southampton are probably a better football team so why will only 1,000 of us be at St Mary's 2) The greater majority can learn to watch the rubbish games in order to watch the big games. As Ewood Spark has pointed out, Rovers are almost unique in having supply greater than demand at Ewood. The only others in the Prem are cyclical - Sunderland and Villa at the mo - and who'd swap 3) Please let us know where your "intelligence" came from. I know you have great contacts, but Lee's now an insider and to my knowledge has never given dodgy gen, either before or after his defection. I have another direct contact on the Rovers board, and the consistent story is that Celtic just wouldn't budge. That (the "direct contact" line) sounds sh*t and I've never mentioned it on here before, but the club is taking really undeserved criticism over this. They did their best for the fans, they're maximising revenue for the home leg and trying to protect home fans but are still getting slated for it - which is well out of order.

Reading Ewood Spark's post is making me feel guilty for not driving to Ewood from London and joining in the queue. I'm relying on BT to get me through to the TO in the morning. But I still feel the point has to be made again, especially in reply to Rev's point here (quote) The comment I heard going into the ground from a couple of people yesterday was that Rovers have **** on the fans with the allocation for the away leg. I still think this will be a PR disaster for the Club and would be surprised if there are any tickets left by lunchtime tomorrow. (unquote) How can it be a PR disaster when there's no way Celtic would release any more tickets for their leg ? I'll tell you what would be a PR disaster - giving them 1,500 for Ewood and getting loads of empty seats on the night and 000's of mad Scotsmen locked out. (Which will prob happen anyway but at least Rovers have done the best they can). I'll repeat the comparison (hopefully for the last time) ... had the draw been Paris St Germain, if we'd have got 2,800 seats no-one would have whimpered. Because Celtic's accessible, because it's easy, people want tickets to see Rovers in Europe away. Why should the ticket rules be changed just because it's the closest club we could have drawn ?

If anyone is still thinking this game should be on open sale to allow our part time armchair fans in ... erm perhaps not ... from www.etims.net Blackburn Rovers are pulling out all the stops in an effort to prevent Celtic fans from taking over their ground for the UEFA Cup tie on 14th November. Although they have already promised Celtic 8000 briefs for the game theY have clearly been warned of the level of interest from Celtic fans. It's thought the number wanting to travel will be in excess of the 20,000 who traveled to Old Trafford for last season's friendly. To ensure a majority home support Blackburn Rovers will initially make tickets available to season ticket holders only, from Thursday 24th October. Any remaining tickets will be available to "Non Season Ticket Holders with a history of purchasing tickets for season 2001/2002 and 2002/2003" from Thursday 31 October. It remains to be seen how easy it will be to implement this system which will no doubt be tested to the limit by many Celtic fans living south of the border. The game is live on BBC TV with an 8.05pm KO so it's hoped Blackburn will be unable to sell out their end of the ground hence increasing Celtic's allocation. Blackburn have deemed the game category A with regards to ticket prices. Tickets will range from £18-£32 for adults. With many fans already having arranged travel and accommodation (mostly in Blackpool and Preston) then it is expected the touts will have a field day with the ticketless Celtic fans in attendance. Celtic have announced that the 8000 allocated for the game at Ewood Park will be balloted between members of the Away European Register (after the investors dip their fat cat mitts in that is). Supporters need not apply as everyone on the Register will be entered into the ballot with the successful being offered tickets by post. No doubt it will be yet another huge cock-up and bedlam will ensue so dodgy English accents and English addresses may be the order of the day. Etims understands that Roy Keane remains confident of being successful in yet another ballot.

What the hell does it matter what Celtic fans think ? Remember Cardiff - we weren't given a chance by the world in general and Spurs fans in particular. Just cos there are 10 times more Celtic fans in the world than Rovers fans doesn't mean they're any better on the pitch. When we've dumped them out they'll stop laughing.

He should have made sure that it's the "normal hard core away support" who get the tickets by using people's purchasing record from the database or asking for away ticket stubs. The way it is being done could result in these people missing out and people who do not travel often or even at all getting tickets. That would break the terms on which the club sells season tickets - ie priority when applying for limited availibility away games. They've already made a huge concession by giving priority to non-ST holders who travelled to Sofia. This is a fantasitc gesture of good will. I looked at Chelsea's website for their away allowance in the last round at Viking. It was 500 tickets in a tiny stadium where the regular crowd is 5,000. No-one was guaranteed a ticket, and to even apply you needed a season ticket and a 100% attendance at last seasons away fixtures in the Prem. We're bloody lucky. I know season ticket holders have to get priority over non season ticket holders and I am not suggesting they should not have. What I think should have happened is that season ticket holders who do go to away matches should have priority. As regard Chelsea's requirement for holding a season ticket and having 100% away record to apply for a ticket that sounds perfectly fair. Why didn't Rovers do something similar? Can anyone name many matches where they've actually been locked out ? Since I was "allowed" (by parents) to go to games, the only time I've not got a ticket was Anfield for the Prem. And I've never had a season ticket and I've always had to travel. The point being ... Rovers don't need to do "something similar". I bet we don't sell the 2,800 tickets.

That at least is a very reasonable 10% of capacity which I'm sure the Chelsea Board fought very hard for!! P.S. See you at Highbury. capacity is nearer 20,000 - they never fill it .. Drayton Park / Inn / Arms (forgotten) before the game

He should have made sure that it's the "normal hard core away support" who get the tickets by using people's purchasing record from the database or asking for away ticket stubs. The way it is being done could result in these people missing out and people who do not travel often or even at all getting tickets. That would break the terms on which the club sells season tickets - ie priority when applying for limited availibility away games. They've already made a huge concession by giving priority to non-ST holders who travelled to Sofia. This is a fantasitc gesture of good will. I looked at Chelsea's website for their away allowance in the last round at Viking. It was 500 tickets in a tiny stadium where the regular crowd is 5,000. No-one was guaranteed a ticket, and to even apply you needed a season ticket and a 100% attendance at last seasons away fixtures in the Prem. We're bloody lucky.

Simon ... why the 'eck should Rovers shoot themselves in the foot by only selling 25,000 tickets when they can benefit from this draw and sell 30,000 plus ? No-one's misjudged anything - how the hell can John Williams go into a meeting with his Celtic counterparts and argue we need more than 2,800 tickets there ? They'd say ha ha Mr Williams, you took 1,400 to Manchester, 800 to West Brom ... and you want us to alienate our own fans by going beyond the UEFA stipulation in order to allow your fair-weather brigade a ticket to Glasgow ... Their fans would be up in arms as we are now - as it is everyone's within the rules, Rovers are ensuring revenue is maximised (the opposite was true agsinst CSKA), and most importantly every measure is in place to stop Celtic fans watching from the JW and CIS. Again I say it, the fury and indignation from home fans surrounded by invaders goes far beyond the annoyance at a perceived shortage of tickets.

I think in a cryptic way he's saying that the normal hard core away support would not sell out the allocation. So there will already be some of the 2,800 fans in Glasgow who are only there for the big occasion. I wonder what would have happened had the 1 in 6 chance given us Paris St Germain instead of Celtic. Not dissimilar in cost / distance / ease of travel - maybe £40-£50 quid more. Still a UEFA Cup 2nd round tie. Without the romance of the Battle of Britain tag. That would sort the wood from the trees, this thread would be half the size and everyone who wanted a ticket for the away leg would have one.

Then tell everyone you talk to to get down to Southampton instead. You can slag off Tom Finn and John Williams all you want, at the end of the day the rules say Celtic only have to give us x tickets and there's **** all anyone can do about it. If they don't want to negotiate then that's it. People coming on here saying we should only have given them 1,500 are missing the point. Rovers have the chance of a massive pay day here and rightly have made a judgement to maximise revenue. 8000 Tics paying £25 each generates £200,000, plus a huge amount in match day revenue in the ground. 1500 generates £37,500. A club in our position cannot afford to throw that sort of money away. Think about it guys, this game can NO WAY go on open sale. Rovers have an absolute maximum of 30,000 fans on the database post-Cardiff. That was a Sunday, this is a Thursday night - I guarantee that Ewood won't sell out on November 14th so the decisions the club have taken will be proved to be correct.

Read the rest of the thread. Celtic refused to give Rovers more than 2,800 tickets, even though Rovers wanted more. Giving them the Darwen end, and restricting ticket sales in the home areas to people with Rovers buying history is the most sensible way to prevent infiltration. If this game went on open sale the JW and CIS stands would be rammed full of Celtic fans. Put it another way - they have 53,000 season ticket holders we have 16,000. In proportion, a greater percentage of our ST holders can obtain a ticket for Celtic Park than theirs can for Ewood.

1702 ... apparently they're sold out now

You can tell him that me and Giddygoat saved him from being abducted by two very dodgy looking security guards with walky-talkies. It took a full glass of cold water in the face to wake him up. Actually, they saved him from us. The plan was to put him in one of the lifts and see where he ended up.

But the whole problem with this "big games attracting new fans" argument is that ... it doesn't work !! Because the people that want tickets for Man U, Liverpool, Celtic, etc are more interested in the opposition, and the sense of occasion, than in Blackburn Rovers. It's like the Worthy Cup final - where've they all gone ? 30,000 of them and I bet there's 5,000 who haven't been to a game since.

I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about - for the home leg the club has done exactly the right thing by giving Celtic the Darwen end ... there is already evidence on this thread that even with 8,000 tickets there will still be infiltration in the home areas by Celtic, just imagine how much worse it would be if we only gave them 1,500. They've got 53,000 season ticket holders. Because Rovers have got the infiltration issue well under control when we've played big clubs recently, people tend to forget just how crap it is watching your team at home surrounded by away fans. As for the away leg, if Lee says Celtic wouldn't budge on our allocation then we'll have to take his word for it. It is a bit disappointing (especially the restricted view thing - how can there be restricted view tickets in a stadium like that - are they in the car park or something ??) Season ticket holders are the life blood of the club so rightly get priority, and also rightly the club has not ignored the 400 who made the effort to travel to Bulgaria. There's not much wrong with any of that. It's a massive fixture with potential interest from people who are neither Rovers or Celtic fans, but who are interested in the wider context of a Battle of Britain match. The club has done what it can to ensure people who deserve tickets get them.