That's purely a commercial decision. Why would a company advance cash to someone deemed a bad risk? I'm certain I wouldn't and see no reason why the club or finance company should.

It's just so refreshing to watch footballers play for the joy of playing. None of the total bollocks associated with the men's game. From what I've seen every player deserves great praise for their ability and attitude.

One arrived for my eldest son. He's renewing anyway just hasn't got round to it. My guess is this is just a shotgun mail shot and not targeted at all.

Perhaps the rest of the support feels the same way. In which case when STs go on sale makes no difference.

Possibly if people got on with renewing their STs the figures would look a touch better? Did ours weeks ago.

Very true.

You believe the PL to be the most exciting league in the world? That's fine, I don't. The outcome of a PL season is very predictable which, for me, is boring. The "most exciting league in the world" is marketing hype the PL and Sky would like it's consumers to belive. It's not even the English PL with only 113 English players taking part last season. With squads of, I think 25, that's just over 20% of the potential. ManchesterUnited have won 13/27 (50%) of titles with only two clubs outside of the big 4/5 winning it in 27 years. There is little that is exciting about a competition that is so predictable. Next season's champions will be City, possibly Liverpool. If the PL is so exciting how is it two of the top four teams produced a final so widely criticised for its quality?

The day after the semis I was saying this was nothing more than an average PL game. I haven't seen the match but all the reports I've read suggest it was poor. What else would one expect without a Champion club in sight. The "Champions" League is total nonsense. As it happens I'm in Porto at present. Not a single sports bar in sight, not one advert for the game, and this in a passionate football country. Possibly the Porto -Liverpool result influenced this? Lots of publicity for the Nations League this week.

This morning is the first time I've come to the site on a laptop since the changes. Looks really good.

I very much agree with you except on price as it's currently possible to get an ST at £319-£349, £14-15/match in round figures. Matchday comparable prices are £22-27 so an ST is, for me, outstanding value offering savings of £7-12. Just how much do people expect? I don't understand or know Stuart, do you? I really cannot understand why at £15 price is an issue. It's £10 at Chorley stood on an open terrace watching through the back of someone's head! I like going to Chorley on a warm, sunny Saturday when Rovers are away and I have , literally, nothing else to do - twice last season. Re matchday prices, yes, I would think twice about paying £27 which is why I've had an ST for 35 years - price just doesn't come in to it. We need to do all we can to get more people in to Ewood but I cannot understand how buses and beer will have a significant impact. One idea I've never heard explored is this - credit union loans. When I was active with Rovers Trust this was a topic we explored but never really managed to progress. I don't know if it has potential but it might be easier for those with a poor credit history, suspicion of major banks etc. On the busing issue I would make another point. The No.24 Chorley-Blackburn service leaves the town centre and passes through east Chorley, Lower Wheelton, Higher Wheelton, Brinscall, Withnell, Abbey Village, Feniscowles so covering virtually all the villages between Chorley and Ewood - it stops at Ewood and takes 45 minutes from Chorley bus station. In all my time of going to Ewood I have, without a word of exaggeration, heard ONE person mention this ONCE ** - that's in 35 years. When a public service appears to be underused would the club really be able to offer a viable alternative? Perhaps a free journey for those showing the driver an ST? ** I do know the route changed some years ago but don't know when, today it stops at Ewood.

Yes it was a tongue in cheek, somewhat silly remark. My response was to a post regarding PNE busing fans in and there had been, at that point, no examples of what Stanley do. Now I understand there is an ultras section, live music, real ale marquees and cheap beer after a win. This is a different proposition. I have some understanding of our demographic in that the town has a wide ethnic mix, low income base and small population. I don't know more but given this I'd argue attracting more fans from the town will be difficult and achieving the 20,000 often cited here needs 40-50% of those fans to come from outside Blackburn. I live halfway between Chorley and Blackburn. At our peak around 30-35 fans left my village from 2.00pm onwards. With one exception these were families - I took four kids, another family was six in total. That's eleven from two households. Today I'm aware of four, yes 4, who go to every match. Three are me and two sons. I'm still in touch with the majority of parents and know their children have moved and are spread across the UK. As an aside this is why free child tickets etc. have an immediate effect but low long-term impact. Going back to demographics the Stanley initiative addresses, for me, a very narrow demographic. At 64 I don't want to stand in a tent, drinking beer listening to a local band. I enjoy each of those things but not at Ewood on matchday. I'd suggest the supporter this is aimed at would be 18-25, possibly 30 at a push. Thinking about the out of town fan and people I know with an interest in football. None go to football to drink, many will not, including myself, drink and drive at all. I may well be wrong but I think this would be commonplace amongst many of the target fans. Taking this deeper. I started watching Rovers in I think '82 possibly '83 when we moved to the area. It's a long story but I wandered in to Ewood one Saturday and immediately was hooked. I had 3-4 seasons alone and then took children for around 13-14 seasons. A beer tent and rock music is the last thing I needed with up to four kids in tow. By the end of this I'd hit early 40s and life had changed. My argument would be the majority who regularly question the club's commitment to or understanding of where the support would come from and how to attract them don't consider much of this. Those making this criticism look only at a narrow demographic, ignore out of town support and believe free child tickets build the future fan base, it doesn't. In the era of 20,000+ home fans the crowd could be split in to core support, floating Rovers fans and those who simply wanted PL football. The only solution to returning to those levels of support is PL football. Everything else is window dressing.

Yep. Never had a problem parking near the ground for £3 just off LBR. Currently we chose to use the DE car park which is £200. Parking is only an issue if you chose to make it one. Some sections of on steet parking for matchday have been relaxed. I don't know how widespread this is as I only notice the area I drive through.

I don't agree with this. To my mind what the club do in and around the ground is the matchday experience. This the club can influence directly. Transport to the ground is a different issue. Yes buses from various areas is a good idea but only impacts matchday for an extremely limited number of fans. As an exampke this might benefit 50 Chorley based supporters. Would busing fans to the ground help attendance? It's impossible to know without trying it. People are wedded to their cars and persuading them to use public transport, park and ride etc. is extremely difficult. A trial which carefully monitored users - existing ST holders against "others" - would be interesting. The original post I responded to stated clearly the experience at Ewood is inferior to that of the Crown Ground. The point being made is the matchday experience at Ewood needs improving for the 12,000 or so people in the ground.

Never. Possibly 2-3 cups of coffee per season when I'm very bored by a performance!!

Nope. Matchday experience is what happens inside the ground. Getting there is different, that is a transport issue. Customer experience is a big thing in retail and entertainment but very, very few places extend this beyond their premises. That would mean Rovers going above and beyond, which would be a good thing. The bus thing is very, very difficult. There is zero traffic on LBR prior to a game and I can drive straight in to a car park. The traffic issue is twofold; stopping the traffic while pedestrians clear the area - entirely understandable - and locking cars in after the match - probably a police issue. As this discussion initially compared Stanley and Rovers I presume Stanley bus fans in from all over Lancashire?

I agree but that is, for me, a different thing to matchday experience. I think matchday experience is directly related to what happens inside the ground. Possibly I'm misinterpreting this. Other than winning every match there is nothing to change inside the ground

Sounds very good. We live approximately 6 miles from Ewood and often don't get out of the car parks till 5.15 or later. If I'm home by 6.00 it's good.

I've no idea, best to ask the club. Read my earlier post and the one above making it clear I would enjoy and use the service.

My post directly before the PNE post gives my opinion on buses. I'd use it provided there is enroute pick up. I'm not driving 5-6 miles in the opposite direction to catch a bus.

I don't think so. I'm watching a decent team, managed by a fundamentally decent person, possible top six campaign in 2019/20 in a PL standard ground (yes it needs some attention), parking is OK, good seats, reasonable coffee on the odd occasion I drink it. What's not to like? What else could the club offer? Better atmosphere? Yes, but that's the fans not the club. The one thing I'd like changed is holding the car parks after the game, which is probably a police and not club issue. All for £15/match

If a bus from Chorley picked up en route and received the same priority as away support coaches I would catch that as opposed to driving. Parking is £200 per season. So from my perspective only something around £5/person would be acceptable -we have 2/3 in the car. Priority over cars leaving the car parks would be essential as without this there is no tangible benefit.

Surely winning more games is the best, and probably only, way to improve the matchday experience. Success on the pitch is the only way forward. I've never been to Stanley but I'm struggling to understand how the matchday experience at the Crown with an average gate of 2827, 24th in League One, watching the team which finished 14th is better than a visit to Ewood Park??? If it's so good why would less than 3,000 bother to go?? If people want a better matchday experience the answer is simple..........

You may feel this is true if you were in that area. My view is it was generally very hard to hear and did nothing to get the rest of the crowd going. How many were in there actually singing? I'd say 2-300 possibly 400 at best. You have to be outside looking in to judge this not in the middle of it.

You're quite correct with this. Our lack of attendance, poor atmosphere, difficulty in selling more tickets is far more complex than whether or not there is a singing section. I've highlighted all this before with a lot of detail on my thoughts but what it really boils down to is when crowds were 20-25,000 many of those fans were not from the town. At 10-12,000 Rovers have probably got the core local support, beyond that the club has to look way beyond the town boundaries. As for those who go away but don't go to Ewood because the atmosphere is, as I think mattyblue put it, shit? My philosophy in life has always been if you don't like it or don't agree get involved and do something constructive to change things. My father taught me that when I was 15. So for the fans who go away but not home the answer is simple. Get down to Ewood and help improve the atmosphere or stop moaning about it. Put up or shut up.

3,000? I think a success might be counted as 500.