2 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

To add to what @only2garners has posted above, The Supporters Trust have also had similar conversations. Some ideas we’ve put forward include:

Entry level pricing - we don’t have a “cheap” season ticket, and some fans are priced out. It’s a big commitment for fans who have never had one before. The front 6 rows of the Riverside are uncovered, they should be cheaper. We proposed £150 for a season ticket there. 

Obviously that’s a limited number of cheap tickets. I doubt you’d see many regulars giving up their seats elsewhere to sit in the worst seats. You’d literally just attract people who wouldn’t buy one otherwise. There was an argument that “people will just move back into other seats”. My answer was in a 1/3 full ground, so what?

 

Flexibility - massive issue. I think there will be a larger than anticipated number not renewing this season off the back of the number of games we’ve had moved to evenings that people (especially those who generally take their kids) can’t make. Loads of suggestions around this.

 

Tied into this and the significant number of fans I’ve spoken to who’ve had a DD knock back, we suggested a “pay as you go” season ticket.

Currently you pay £40 to a finance company for the privilege of spreading your payments. We suggested a £50 membership/initial cost (money to the club) that then allows you to buy a ticket to any league game at a pro-rata price equivalent to the season ticket price per game, so around £18. If you want to go to all of them, you pay about the same as someone on a direct debit. If you can’t make half you aren’t wasting hundreds of pounds. You’d also get the other fringe season ticket benefits like access to away tickets etc.

This is from my own working knowledge of consumer credit rather than any discussion with the club… Regarding the direct debit function, the club can’t offer finance. They aren’t licensed to, and it’s a non-starter. I do wonder what criteria v12 are going by, as I know homeowners who have been rejected and people with CCJ’s who have been accepted… I’d guess they are looking more at current work/income status than credit history to make their lending decisions.

We’ve also had massive discussions around catchment areas and the marketing of season tickets the club do. I have to say the insight Fraser Reed has into this is brilliant from a digital point of view - very illuminating. There was an acknowledgement they needed to do more in more traditional/non-digital channels, as well as an acknowledgement they don’t have our strength of local knowledge and that was identified as an area they’d like some help. One comment was “the majority of our database has a BB postcode” which resulted in me literally getting a map out and showing them that that meant they could be coming from Rossendale, Hyndburn or even Burnley.

We asked for tickets to be on sale sooner. That box was ticked, but the issue of only having a window of one or maybe two paydays before a price hike remains, frustratingly. Personally I’m sick of deadlines and cut off points. Season tickets should be available at any point during the season on a pro-raga’s price basis. What happens if someone who has been out of work finds a job in September? They have to wait til half season tickets go on sale at Christmas.

We’ve also discussed a membership scheme on very similar lines to the fans forum, as an additional product and not a replacement for the traditional season ticket.

There’s a lot more I could go into and the Trust will be putting out Comms regarding this in the near future. We do appreciate any input though, so feel free to reach out. We’re also looking to expand our membership (always) and our board, so please keep an eye open.

I forgot the point about the Riverside, which we also made, although on the more general one of having the whole stand as an entry level ST.

Fraser does seem to have a handle on a lot of good data and it's pretty understandable that he won't have much local knowledge, being a Spurs fan from Bournemouth!

I like the idea of a membership and discounted tickets. I might make the same point at the next FF in May.

Just now, TheRovers1994 said:

I applied for finance on mine but got rejected cause of that v12 being stingy when my score is decent 

why can’t they club operate their own fiance system ? A dingle I work with said they have their own, if you mis payment your ticket gets frozen until you sort it out, the amount of money the club misses out on cause of finance companies is ridiculous I bet 

Blimey, that is radical.

7 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

Inspired by a pre-match conversation on Tuesday night…we were discussing all the possible innovative ways a modern season ticket offering could be designed.

I’d like to do a “Wisdom of the Crowd” type thing on here which may inspire an article.

The sorts of things we discussed included :

• Weekend only season tickets- especially including children in the package
• Midweek only season tickets
• Gym style monthly membership options with different tiers each offering different benefits but spreading the cost over 12 months
• Unreserved seating (first come first seated) areas where you could meet mates for ad hoc games

 

What ideas would you like to see Rovers offer to bring the fans back to Ewood ?

Please add below & I’ll try to collate them into some sort of a proposition for the new Head of Commercial when appointed ! 🙂

 

[I know there will be replies along the lines of “win promotion”, “sack Waggott” & so on but try & resist the urge please & let’s try to understand our fanbase, our demographic & what might resonate with different fans….thanks all 👍🏻]

I think the Fans Forum has spoken more about season tickets and pricing more than any other subject in the time I've been on it. A few of us had a separate meeting with Paul Fielder and Fraser Read in January to give our opinions on what changes could be made. The one point that we emphasised more than anything else was the need to reduce prices, at least in early bird offers. It looks like we helped in a small way to do a little on that from this year.

We have talked a few times about packages with a smaller number of games to encourage those who know that they can't make all home games in a season. There clearly would be a lot of interest in these and no doubt some of those who only come occasionally now would take them. But the overriding issue, and that I'm sure means it won't happen any time soon, is that a lot of current season ticket holders would also be very interested and would downsize their purchase as well.

I always miss a number of home games each season as I'm retired and lucky enough to be able to do some travel each winter. This season I've missed 5 home games and that's pretty typical for me. Say a 15 game ticket would make financial sense for me but not for the club.

We talked about the gym membership type plan in January and I got the impression that there was some interest from the club - it may well be that there was not enough time to get that set up for 23/24. I will be following it up over the Summer. Our idea was to offer a monthly fee option by direct debit, with people committing to a 12 month membership each year and being advised on the new annual rate and given a window to stop each year. I can't help feeing a £32 per month fee would be very attractive to a lot of fans. It sounds a lot less than a one-off £379 even though it's actually £5 more.

We didn't talk about an unreserved seating area this time but it's another idea that is worth a revisit. I remember that we tried for a while to get one in the Darwen End of the Riverside in John Williams' and then he gazumped us by doing it in the Darwen End at the time he radically dropped ST prices. I can see our original idea being an attractive one for a number of fans - in fact on Tuesday night a number of Roverrs fans did it themselves.

I would expect that, having already got a place in the play-offs, a guaranteed home tie in the second leg as well and now no chance of an automatic promotion, that Luton will be looking to not risk some of their first team players. I can't imagine that they want to risk Carlton Morris picking up an injury on Monday and putting him out of the play-offs. To a certain extent all their players will have that in the back of their minds on Monday. I can imagine that 5/6 of their squad who have been in and around the first team but primarily only making sub appearances would be a much better bet to play - they have something to prove and a desire to get into the team.

I'm not sure whether that helps us much - I have no idea who those players are, but I can't see them playing a full first team at least at kick-off

4 minutes ago, superniko said:

I pretty much counted the empties. 1k missing from JW and about half the Riverside - I make that about 18k home fans. Pal.

I think you might be counting the empty Blackburn End Upper in that 18K.

50 minutes ago, rigger said:

I thought Dolan was having a nightmare.

I was referring to Thomas.

2 hours ago, RoversTilliDie said:

We played dolan up front against Preston, why not try shzmodics up front, he takes his goals well when given the chance. Thomas has to start against Burnley, he gave the Preston full backs nightmares at time.

Blimey, I thought he was dreadful. I can’t remember a time he got a decent cross in all half. We were much better down the right when Hedges came on in the second half.

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

Can you see Coventry winning at Middlesbrough?

I refer the honourable gentleman to the antics of Huddersfield Town a few seasons ago.

2 hours ago, ElTwis said:

Am I being thick here? Is Lowe fine to be in the dugout despite the red card or are the efl waiting to announce his punishment?

According to today's LEP the incident is still being investigated by the FA. So I guess no bans until the completion of the investigation.

3 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

He’s even called Marlon Dingle FFS

 

Surely if he has "acquired" a Rovers season ticket he wouldn't need to get a ticket? But I don't suppose he's bright enough to realise that.

7 minutes ago, Mercer said:

 

Mercer - see my post above. If Norwich win their last 4 games then WBA won't as they play each other.

10 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

I think I’m right in saying this, but if we beat Coventry Preston and Millwall, I think that guarantees us a playoff spot no matter what happens elsewhere. Tonight could be huge.

I think you're right. Winning those 3 would get us to 72 points. Luton (86), Porto (83), WBA (75) and Norwich (73) could all get more, but as WBA play Norwich they can't both get maximum points so 72 will be enough. In reality the total needed may well be a bit less as not every other team will win all their games.

19 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Which Rovers' lot will turn up tonight - hungry young men and men of steel or the 'bottling boys' who wilt at the merest whiff of pressure?

Heart, as always, says Rovers, head says Coventry by at least a goal.  Stuck money on Coventry at slightly better than 2/1 so there will be at least some consolation should we lose.

Tired of saying it - Adam Wharton MUST start as MUST Leonard.  Pretty certain JDT will bottle it and keep at least Leonard on the bench if not both.  Fortune favours the brave and from what I've seen these two lads don't harbour fear and are Rovers through and through - don't be an imbecile JDT and cut these lads loose, give them their heads and tell them to fire us to the play-offs.

Going to be a long night, sadly, I don't think it's going to be a happy one and JDT will face a flurry of brickbats over selection and tactics in recent games which have cost us so very, very dearly.

Excellent news Mercer.

6 hours ago, philipl said:

We will be extremely fortunate tonight if any of Millwall, Sunderland and West Brom fail to get 3 points.

Probably kicking off in 8th tomorrow with the prospect of dropping to 10th if we don't win.

Looks like we have been then Philip.

5 minutes ago, danger19_80 said:

West Brom sneaking back into the playoffs as things stand. Would expect them to stay there too.

They won’t be in the play-off places tomorrow night whatever happens.

There’s also the factor that relations between Rovers and Forest are at a pretty low ebb.

5 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

Morton benefitted from this massively too.

He did, but then he also benefited from being one of 3 rather than 2 in midfileld.as well

26 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I noticed today after about twenty minutes one of the Huddersfield staff taking towels out and giving them to the ball boys. Why after twenty minutes and not the start? 

I imagine it was after 22 minutes arbiter i.e. after they and gone two up. I have no problem if they want to play silly buggers and dry the ball every throw in, just as long as the ref recognises it for the time wasting it was and adds the relevant time on. Clearly that didn't happen today. There were 5 substitutions in the second half and two longish stops for injuries - that must have accounted for 5 minutes. The time could easily have been doubled.

I can't remember a game where the opposition have played everyone behind the ball all game and made no attempt to challenge for the ball in our half.

I thought we played decently in the first half bar letting two soft goals in. There were at least 3 times we should have scored in the first half even if we didn't work the keeper.

26 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Not sure if anyone has mentioned but I love how Hyam pushed forward a lot today. Looked comfortable doing so which is great to see.

Well of course he did, as did Carter. That's because Huddersfield just conceded the space and let both centre backs walk up to the half way line. It's easy to look comfortable on the ball when no one's challenging you. This is not a criticism, just that he's unlikely to get the same freedom in the next few matches, at least not all game.

3 hours ago, Penwortham Blue said:

I’m from Whalley and live in the Ribble Valley, within a few miles of Brockhall and get out and about, I rarely see any Rovers players.

If you’re from Whalley and live in the Ribble Valley why are you Penwortham Blue?

And two further goals so Rovers lost 3-1.

1 minute ago, bluebruce said:

Good thing I didn't talk about it whatsoever then.

Fair enough. Neither did I.

13 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Or ya know, people have seen Wharton and Morton play and Wharton has been far better on average. But no, let's chalk it off to some psychological phenomenon you think you've seen.

I'm not saying this with retrospect and I doubt many are - plenty of us couldn't understand it at the time. Maybe try just accepting that some people rate Wharton a lot higher than you seem to.

I have no idea whatsoever on Adam's psychological status and I'm pretty sure you don't either.

Adam is right at the beginning of what I hope will be a stellar career for Rovers. So far he has played 10 games for the first team, 6 at Championship level. He had one stunning opening performance at Blackpool followed immediately by a disappointing part game at home to Bristol City - it looked at that game like he had spent the few days in between reading the press reports. Or it could well have been that his young body wasn't up to two games in a week. He had another couple of excellent games in the following weeks but as I pointed out there were also more poor performances.

Since then, for whatever reason, he has rarely even appeared on the bench for the first team, so something's wrong somewhere. I haven't seen him play enough to definitely be sure that he's going to make it long term. It appears that there are plenty of others who, based on similar evidence, are sure. I hope you're all right but asked to choose between the judgement of a few folk on the internet or Rovers professional coaching staff, I'm going with the latter.

Adam was certainly very poor in the first half at West Ham and was rightly replaced by Garrett at half time. There's at least one other performance I've seen at Ewood when he was off the pace, but I can't remember which game. Then we have arbitro saying he was nowhere near the right level in a recent under 21 game.

I think this as much a player who is not playing seemingly getting better by comparison with people on the pitch. I've seen it time and time again with Rovers fans and it is probably the same with all fans. It's compounded in Adam's case because he's a local lad and Rovers fan.

11 hours ago, bluebruce said:

How can it be a stretch when I've already seen it?

You have seen it on occasion but if you have been watching regularly you will have seen the reverse too.

Rovers have I think always refused red button coverage where they can.