Question for the Forum to raise - when we’re promoted, will there be a celebration planned at Ewood?

0-4 Rovers. We’re going up.

There’s absolutely nothing fun about being a bottom 5 Premier League club and nothing at all will make me change my mind. It’s completely mind numbing and it doesn’t surprise me to see Longers falling out of love with it. Making sure you pick up at least a point against rivals because the top 5 or 6 teams cannot be rivalled, simply down to finance and who’s owner is the richest - it’s not for me at all. Give me Championship or even League One footie any day ahead of a 6 nil spanking by a Russian Billionaire’s play thing that’s only involved in football so that Putin can’t kill him easily.

It is, it’s next to the post office.

October 2021 update here: https://www.champman0102.net/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=3479 1994/95 here: https://www.champman0102.net/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=2555&start=25 Original Download: https://www.champman0102.net/viewtopic.php?p=4906#p4906

Newcastle are meant to be signing that Fiorentina striker who’s scoring for fun for 40 million. I expect them to be signing players like that rather than BBD.

I’ve got a link somewhere to the CM01/02 game, but with the database up to date with last season, if you want it? I won promotion with Harvey Elliot, Adam Armstrong and Martinelli on loan as a front three. Great fun.

Jheez someone’s doing well.

I thought Andy Lee in his corner was exceptional. Clear, concise short messaging in the corner about what to do for the following 3 minutes. He’s obviously made a difference in the gym too, Parker couldn’t hurt him in the first fight and did some serious damage this time.

Correct - any more questions?

Followed up by your own MOTM review on the BRFCS match centre, one would hope! https://www.brfcs.com/magazine/football/match/717061/blackburn-birmingham

Baiting - banned. I said I’d do this, stop doing it.

Sat at home this evening wondering what can go wrong here, with January on the horizon… Keeper - Kaminski is number one and Pears has proven himself as a good number two. We’ll be unlucky to get two serious injuries at the same time to both. Right Wing Back - Nyambe first choice. JRC is a suitable second choice but he can’t stay fit. Do we have a back up, back up? Centre Back - Seems like Lenihan, Van Hecke and Wharton are preferred. Ayala and Carter as back up. Feels like five is safe for three positions? Johnson as emergency sixth. Left Wing Back - Pickering first choice, Edun looks like he’s second choice although it seems he either isn’t vaccinated or currently has COVID which could be a longer term issue. CM - Buckley, Rothwell, Travis. I’m not sure we have anyone that can adequately fill in for Buckley or Rothwell, Davenport can do the Travis role. Saying that, Dack might be able to do the Buckley role if he can get over two ACLs. Clarkson can’t get a game. I think I prefer Johnson as a CB. RF - Khadra first choice. Poveda was second but is out for the season. Assume Dolan is second choice. LF - Brereton Diaz, Gallagher. I think we need a RWB, RF, Rothwell cover and not to sell Diaz here…

This Rovers side are absolutely relentless. If we where playing them I’d want them looking at for PEDS. I’ve not said this in a long time now, but here goes… Tony Mowbray’s Blue and White Army!

Rumours that it’s Bradley Johnson that’s out with COVID. It’s definitely not Brereton or Lenihan. In terms of prediction, I’m still struggling to believe we are 4th. I’ll say we will lose simply based on how we’ve done in these situations prior to this season.

NFTs will take over in the next 5-10 years and - much like Crypto - there’s serious money to be made. There’s also tonnes of con artists already swarming all over it.

Assombalonga? Toni?

I’m fortunate enough to be able to afford a £25 ticket if I want one. But unfortunately the poverty level in Blackburn means that a £25 ticket 2 weeks before Christmas is just far too expensive. Every year it’s the same - the people of Blackburn can’t afford to spend £25 this close to Christmas on non essentials. I’d have priced it at £20 for an adult ticket and an additional £1 to bring an U16 with you.

Whoa - one minute: 19/20 Newcastle Attendance (Mike Ashley) - 35,551 out of 52,300 (67% full) 19/20 Nottingham Forest Attendance (Marinakis) - 21,617 out of 30,445 (71% full) 19/20 Birmingham City Attendance (Cho Hung) - 15,975 out of 29,409 (54% full) 19/20 Sheffield Wednesday Attendance (Chansiri) - 18,573 out of 39,859 (46% full) 19/20 Bradford Attendance - 14,257 out of 25,123 (56% full) 19/20 Blackpool Attendance - 8,770 out of 16,220 (54% full) 19/20 Bolton Attendance - 11,511 out of 28,723 (40% full) 19/20 Blackburn Attendance 11,460 out of 31,367 (36% full) Granted Rovers are bottom of this list - but they've also got the third biggest stadium which skews the numbers and are a town club in the Championship. The reality is any bad owner has a negative impact on tickets sold and the longer that ownership continues to be considered 'bad' the more the number drops. When Venkys took over Rovers average attendance was 25,000 out of 31,367 (79% full) which tells its own story. During Venkys ownership we've lost 13,540 fans on average. Where do you work? Would your boss accept a 43% drop in anything? Mine wouldn't! Some of these will have been away fans, but there's no hiding from the big issue here. Fans have either: stopped following Rovers because they're not a PL side (up to Rovers to fix), stopped following Rovers because they no longer enjoy it (see our huge away followings - this is up to Rovers to fix) or stopped following Rovers because they don't agree with the ownership/management (this is up to Rovers to fix).

A few points on this - 1) There's no such thing as freedom of speech in the UK. 2) I know of at least two Ribble Valley football teams that have had tickets through this scheme - their demographic is very much 'white British'. It's not certainly a scheme devised to be 90% ethnic children. 3) In the 2011 census, 28% of people within Blackburn with Darwen identified as 'Asian/Asian British'. When you attend Ewood, would you say that 28% of attendees fit this demographic? I wouldn't - I would guesstimate much closer to 5%. Therefore this demographic is hugely under represented and I commend Rovers for doing more to get it closer to 28%. 4) The key to building back attendances is to get kids hooked whilst they're young. I'm sure that we can all agree that we don't give two damns what ethnicity or religion these kids are from as long as it benefits the club.

Keep it to the politics thread please Chaddy.

We’ll support it financially if there’s a genuine interest in doing it.

I’ve no idea - but that’s the rumour which is going around at the moment. I don’t know how true it is, but I wanted to tell you what I thought he was talking about. And his subsequent reply makes it sound like I’m right. @1864roverite care to share anymore details?

It means what it says, I thought it was clear but I will try again. I really, regularly, attend matches. I buy tickets on a game by game basis. Over the course of a season - mostly because of Waggott’s surreal pricing structure - this is more expensive. However, as a lapsed season ticket holder, the club ring you and ask if you’re interested in a season ticket - or, as they are recently - a half season ticket. I use this opportunity to give feedback to the club, which I ask to be fed back up to senior management. They always tell me it will be, but I’ve no idea if it is. There’s other reasons eg I think average ST sales tells a story, whereas nobody ever talks about average match day ticket sales. This might sound insane to you. I can accept that. But I spent many years refusing to go to Ewood and did away games only, which I hated. I feel happier doing it this way.