
Atko's Engine
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Atko's Engine last won the day on January 1 2022
Atko's Engine had the most liked content!
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Cheshire
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Riverside
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2025 Summer Transfer Thread. 😂
Atko's Engine replied to Upside Down's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
Who knows, maybe Ewood will become his Wonderland... -
v Sheffield United (a) - 3/5/2025
Atko's Engine replied to ...'s topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
One of the things that really sticks in my craw, ignoring the obvious, is how much the Ahmedhodzic transfer to Sheff Utd has shafted us. IIRC, he was about to sign for us under JDT when they came in and gazumped us on his transfer fee &/or wages. He was then a massive contributor to them going up that season, significantly at our expense because we missed top 6 on GD. OK, that happens; but during that season Sheff Utd failed to pay up what they were contracted to pay to his former club; they were charged, found guilty, and ultimately docked 2 points this season, which is nothing for a club coming back down with £150m in its coffers. Fast forward 9 months and that same player scores the goal that, on the day, meant we again missed out on top 6 again. Where's the fairness in that?? Another example of the authorities not being fit for purpose at our expense. Edit: just seen that Bbrovers2288 beat me to it - 18 hours ago!! -
Season Tickets 2025/26
Atko's Engine replied to JHRover's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
I've renewed mine today. It was the hardest decision of all the renewals I've done in 40+ years. Did it with my dad & brother which tbh was the main motivation as it's pretty much the only thing that we all do together regularly, with me living an hour out of town. -
Safe to say he has been!!
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v Watford (h) - 26/4/2025
Atko's Engine replied to Herbie6590's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
Disagree. For this group of players to be in with a chance of top 6 on the last day is something none of us expected in August. Throughout the season they've had to cope with their manager deserting them, and the board not providing them with sufficient support in terms of proper reinforcements when the squad was down to bare bones. To have fought back from that, & after 5 defeats in a row to then win the next 4, is quite remarkable & testament to their collective desire to overcome adversity & be a team greater than the sum of its parts. This club has many, many problems. Imo, this group of players is not one of them. -
v Watford (h) - 26/4/2025
Atko's Engine replied to Herbie6590's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
Whatever happens from here, I'm proud of these boys. -
v Sunderland (a) - 21/4/2025
Atko's Engine replied to Herbie6590's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
Bristol City also yet to play: Leeds (a) Preston (h) -
v Sunderland (a) - 21/4/2025
Atko's Engine replied to Herbie6590's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
What, even with "significant investment"?? -
Venky’s (& Suhail) Out Protest Ideas
Atko's Engine replied to DuffsLeftPeg's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
The "number of fans" thing is a bit of a red herring when comparing us to other clubs. There's a whole host of factors that militate towards whether we have comparable attendances to them, not least town/city size, catchment area, recent performance, cultural demographic, ticket prices / affordability. Size of fanbase isn't a reason; Bournemouth, Brentford, even Luton recently managed it, why can't we?? Look at Wrexham now? Birmingham City, all clubs with historically low attendances & even less success / stature in the game, both likely to out-compete us next season. Even Wycombe have some major backing nowadays! What's clear & public knowledge is that Rovers are now down to just 4,000 adult season ticket holders. The other 5,000 are concessions, most of which have gone up multiple times annual inflation for 2025/26. That can't be far off the lowest number since season tickets became a thing. Engagement from the club to the fanbase (and I mean proper engagement, not social media floweriness) is as low as I can remember in the modern era, even going so far as to say that no more effort is going to be made to re-engage lapsed matchgoers; apathy rules, and being blunt that's myself included too, especially on Friday night, I was just too disheartened to get angry). These owners have undone EVERYTHING that Jack achieved, short of knocking down Ewood (but which is slowly decaying before our very eyes anyway due to lack of necessary maintenance) & cancelling the Academy. There are no signs of that changing under them. We're a zombie club with no drive, plan, strategy or direction amongst the board or owners. Is there any other club whose owner(s) has not attended in over a decade? That just says it all, whilst presiding over 2 relegations & not 1 single play off qualification berth to get back into the PL? If they can't be bothered coming, when money is no why should any fan who feels that their club, a fsmily & community hub steeped in pride & history in the global game, has been stolen from them? The status quo just cannot continue, and that starts with these owners realising they've locked everything up & that the decent things to do are either sell up to someone who does care (ideally), or at the very least appeal to the fans for forgiveness, appoint proper people at Ewood who know football & their roles as custodians of the club (i.e. not outside agencies), and give them the support and autonomy to start driving the club forwards again & stop this sleepwalking existence into oblivion. -
Venky’s (& Suhail) Out Protest Ideas
Atko's Engine replied to DuffsLeftPeg's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
The only criticism could be that some folk might argue it came across as a rant, but it's impossible to squeeze all relevant issues & feelings into 4 minutes or whatever, there's just so much to refer to; and you don't want to be sidetracked by the interviewer from getting facts across & wasting valuable airtime. But there were plenty of facts provided with evidence supporting them, including giving rational thoughts & context behind your own personal involvement back in 2012 etc re attending Parliament with Jack Straw etc & how that had some general impact on the debate re club ownership & the (hopeful) establishment of the football regulator, which will hopefully benefit your bread & butter football fans generally, not just BRFC. -
Venky’s (& Suhail) Out Protest Ideas
Atko's Engine replied to DuffsLeftPeg's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
You got a lot of points in that "interview" Glen - I think the interviewer got about 20 words in! Definitely highlighted the long term paralysis that the club has suffered & the lack of understanding, desire & ambition in the last 15 years. Lets see how much traction it gets, & what's in store tonight. Well done again, your passion & frustration really came across. -
Venky’s (& Suhail) Out Protest Ideas
Atko's Engine replied to DuffsLeftPeg's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
Good luck! -
Venky’s (& Suhail) Out Protest Ideas
Atko's Engine replied to DuffsLeftPeg's topic in Blackburn Rovers Fans Messageboard
I've not been that active on here of late due to other stuff going on that took my focus sway from all things Rovers so i'm playing a bit of catch up. I must say, hats off to Glen & Co for efforts made these last few weeks to try to start to fashion a cure or this rot that has set in over the last 14 years. I don't have the bandwidth in my life atm to get too involved, but I am trying to get word about to the (relatively small!) people in my social circle who are interested that enough is enough! I'm quite a reserved person in general. I don't go in for public spats & vocal protests / marches / direct action as I feel they can be confrontational, divisive & often self-harming to the cause being supported. But this one feels different; it feels more structured, focused & strategised & aims (and so far is succeeding) to emphasise the sheer frustration of being a Rovers fan right now, and the futility of being a fan generally when we're powerless to affect things in terms of the overall welfare of the club as a community institution. The timing, it being 150 years since formation & 30 years since being Champions of England (and all the media spotlight that alonee has got this week), is perfect. Sadly, regardless of our history, as a club we're an irrelevance now to probably 50% of active football fans in this country, including probably 90% of U18s. "Blackburn Rovers? What, they won the Premier League? But they're crap!" I'm really in a quandary about all of this though, & I imagine my situation mirrors that of many. I'm a 40yr season ticket holder, have been going that long with my dad & brother. I live an hour from Ewood, so me going there with them is routine / part of my DNA, a family tradition. It's my club, our club, and watching it splinter & wither away at the hands of dome uninterested billionaires thousands of miles away is gut wrenching. That interview just proves to me, if ever evidence were needed, that there are no fit & proper custodians of the club anywhere within its corridors of power. I can't just give it up though, boycott, as I worry that if I do for any period of time I'll become one of those who finds something else to do instead. There's hope, finally, that things could change & this proves to be the time that life is breathed back into our zombie club. Roll on Friday, it'll be a passionate one for sure. -