<Its up to the silent majority to pick people up on this and tell these idiots that it is not acceptable to defile the name of our club with their stupid chants and noxious opinions. Failing that we should just kick the crap out of them.> The scum singing the drivel do indeed need to be told - "Sing something simple, you simple *****" might be an appropriate vocal response from sane and reasonable Rovers fans (working at a number of levels). Or there is always the latter option to fall back on ....

Think it was 2% but effective as placebo beer for those who indulged... Stuwilky - cheers for that 'Super Rovers(well, Feyenoord)' link - already a classic footie tune after that second half !

Just back - great trip Blackburn, in de lang niet volle Kuip gesteund door ruim 2500 luidruchtige fans, leek een thuiswedstrijd te spleen. Can any of the site's visiting Dutch fans translate?Cheers

Surely 'boorish' although you can be a little dull at times...thought you had an early start tomorrow!? Get the Amstel on ice and sithee tomorrow

<Its the atrophy and general apathy of support from within the town of Blackburn itself that worries me most and clearly at present there is no light whatsoever at the end of the tunnel for Rovers with this issue.> SG194 What were your views back in the mid-eighties Don Mackay era - was your embarrassment at regular <5000 Ewood gates so acute that you didn't dare appear in public? You definitely see your glass (local ground) as half-empty rather than half-full! Is it only the actual numbers that cause you such anguish? Why do you focus your frustration on the local bandwagon-jumpers who no longer come down rather than those who used to travel to Ewood from further afield (eg greater than 5 miles) ? To get the crowds you expect and demand inevitably requires a greater catchment area than Blackburn (even 'with Darwen'). Do you not recognise and accept that many of the new fans who came along when our home support was at its largest over the last 10 years were of a certain persuasion/demographic that were never going to be with us for the long haul? Your definition of 'apathy of support' and mine differ greatly. I remember those small Division 2 home crowds displaying a lot more passion than we do nowadays. Would you be happier with 30000 prawn sandwich eaters or 15000 hard-core fans? The game itself and the role of the supporter as 'customer' concept has alienated many former fans from the latter category to the extent they no longer go regularly. Ubiquitous TV screenings are a convenient excuse/justification for others. Ticket price, perceived and relative, not necessarily actual, and ancillary costs are another. There is no single factor in this, just as there is no silver bullet to reverse our attendance decline. Many are finding that the Rovers continental excursions this season offer a bit of what has been lost with supporting at Ewood over recent years; lively, boisterous and with a degree excitement and adventure. Look at how many are off to Feyenoord on Thursday with all that that trip entails. I suppose John Williams and yourself would prefer the ones who aren't regular Ewood attenders (there's more than a few) to be directing their enthusiasm and cash to the Fulham and Nancy games but perhaps a big Rovers following in Rotterdam might rekindle your faith and pride in your fellow supporters (at least for a short while)?

I'll be travelling light so as you say, meet y'all at the station As for Glasgow, I blame it on that wee dram (or five) of Drambuie in Bairds, but just think of the kudos if I'd failed to get into the Parkheed ground for being 'under the influence'. As I always say, when in Rome...

Will there be more Rovers fans at Feyenoord than at Celtic Park a few years ago (having read that this match'll have the Rovers largest ever following in Europe)? If it refers to continental Europe, how many were at the Lyons game?

Very good initial post from Amanda - surprising more haven't endorsed it. SUSD <<We really need the clubs to start lobbying the Government on our behalf and it would be tragic if they waited until their stadiums were half empty before doing anything.>> Well, sad it may be, but Rovers are heading for this and we must stand up and be counted (excuse the pun). Whither BRISA and what is our club's FSA representative's stance on all the aspects raised above? (Actually, there's a BRISA meeting on Monday so I've partially answered my own question!)

Anybody else on here flying out to Amsterdam from Nottingham East Midlands on the Wednesday 16:15 bmibaby flight?

There was plenty of bottle around that match ( and draught and shorts ) - never known a home game before or since where so many Rovers fans had been so heartily 'numbing the prematch tension' ! Hence the incredible volume of vocal support from all sides of Ewood Park (give the Geordies their due). Set things up nicely for that amazing afternoon at Anfield.

No caps allowed in 'the tub' either, bloomin' heck! Perhaps retro ski chapeaux might be allowed - it will only be a week shy of Advent! McC, hope you've got everything under control organisationally...? If we miss the train back after, there's always the raves in th'owd town after Rovers' glorious victory - there's probably a milk train on Friday back to Amsterdam to fall back on Seems like a sizeable following are heading to Holland, perhaps some Rovers fans are firing off the Prem for continental jollyboy jaunts (just a thought for those with a BRFC-supporter-number inferiority complex)? Looking forward to the 22nd with eager anticipation...Give us a B ....Beeeee, give us an L .....ellllllllll, give us an A ayyyyyyyyyyyy etc Gonna be another fantastic trip...

When the new Riverside opened in the early 90's, was it not originally terraced for a while (certainly its lower half)? If a back-to-basics terrace cannot be contemplated (I know...Taylor report, blah, blah, Hillsborough, blah, blah, Health & Safety blah, blah) why not import those Wisla fans and their big flag (appropriately Roverified of course) to populate it. Why not get flare firers, klaxon sounders and banner wavers in there to beef up the visual spectacle for the all important TV viewer (give the drummers a few months off)? The front concourse is the major way in and out for those on the Riverside at the moment so it cannot really be made narrower on aesthetic grounds. Whatever, the R O V E R S lettering does need to be sorted (made bolder, with a hint of 3-d shading perhaps). The corner filled in - nonstarter. A ground move - and have Jack turning in his grave - complete nonsense. There are a lot of cheap sensible things that can be done to Ewood Park to make the supporting experience and atmosphere better - just use a bit of imagination (and your vocal chords and palms of your hands) starting this Saturday v Man Utd.

<<should consider others situations >> barring the missing apostrophe, totally agree, SAR! I'll probably never be involved in a Blackburn End 'You are my sunshine....' (totally unpercussive, incidentally, drummer fans) surge again but I wish it still happened. Too many folk on here have a selfish perspective... Disappointing result at Villa Park (dubious penalty and all) - glad that 'the man' hasn't surpressed dodgy satellite everywhere - we'll just have to concentrate on Europe! Oh if you're going to Holland clap your hands...!

<<Household wind turbines on the other hand Pah ! The heap of cr*p that B&Q sells produces its full output at 12.5m/s, a "strong breeze" on the Beaufort scale. And what 12m/s wind is in MPH ........it's nearly 30MPH and almost never experienced in urban areas - at least not at the sustained levels required for power generation. If you live up on the Pennines, no trees & an unobstructed view, then maybe - even better if you live on the Fylde coast, but downtown Blackburn - forget it - Leave wind generation to the big boys - NOw if there was such a thing as rain generation then Blackburn would be quids in !!!!>> Up here on Revidge we'd well blessed though, surely? How much profit are B&Q making on their £1500 solar panels and wind turbines? I know grants are available under certain circumstances but if the government were serious about home power generation, these would be subsidised to the max and require a far simpler process to install. Every bloomin' lamp post (in a suitable location) should be built strong enough to incorporate a small wind turbine... Better tax incentives rather than new taxes (more carrot, save the stick for the polluters) People like old fashioned windmills...instead of a white Riverside floodlight stanchion with three blades as countryside eyesores, why not have lots of 'traditional-style' windmills across the rural landscape (water-pumping and corn grinding an optional extra)? They could help provide affordable rural housing too (with cheap power thrown in, for Windy Millers admittedly!) Electricity, it's the future...

How many season ticket holders didn't come last night and how many of them were under 10's (being on a school night )? Saw very few youngsters at Ewood Park last night - might be a minor mitigating factor for the self-flagellation (or rather Blackburn public whipping) brigade? How far away were we from what would have been acceptable attendance for those with the problem with last night's gate? Quality not necessarily quantity counts (although admittedly not as far as JW's coffers are concerned). I thought the travelling FC Basel fans were very impressive in their vocal support. In spite of the result (from their perspective), I bet they enjoyed their involvement in the game...good command of English too Though I have in the past been known to directly shame - and advocate shaming - stayaways (those without just cause), the sanctimonious brigade on this thread repeatedly fail to realise how their stance actually alienates many fairweather fans generally. The TV / pub habit for spectating (not supporting) for many will take a considerable amount of breaking...

We were always going to lose this game - it was inevitable (I'm surprised Ian Pearce didn't make a Boleyn Ground return to make it 3 - 1!; that said, will always remember his Rovers effort that took us into Europe back in the '90's ) . Back on track against Basel - onwards and upwards

Fantastic result! Commiserations to White Star...great home support... That said, heard a fantastic " One Jack Walker!" in the second half (over Roy's mellifluous waffle) from the invisible (to TV coverage) Rovers following... Get down to Ewood on Sunday and welcome them home!

Teenage Fanclub - vastly underrated, top band with a superb album backcatalogue (Killers, shmillers...pah) . I hate verisimilitude....(a lyric, not a band!)... (What's with the Hasselhoffmeister groupies? Am I missing something? )

Great pricing policy - hope the fans take full advantage... <<i'm the first to admit that last season our following at yours was poor, not excuses but charging £30 or whatever it was for a game just after xmas which is on sky at 5.15 with an away trip for 4,500 BWFC fans to marseille coming up it wasn't a surprise!>> PW Will BRFC's UEFA games have a positive or negative effect on Ewood league gates? Additional expense v the 'feelgood factor' (so far)? Perhaps the timing of the club's positive initiative is significant....either way, if the Trotters do bring a large following (well as PW reminds us, they've no French distractions this season) there's probably a corner of the Riverside where they'd be made more than welcome

Ian57 That's a darn fine anthem you've got there - would love to hear it sung loudly at Ewood! Pride is what it all boils down to - having a team to be proud of, entwined with local pride. This LUFC stuff is just plain daft. What I'd recommend, starting on Thursday evening, is for match ticket holders, drinking prematch in Blackburn pubs with TVs, to raucously chant "Oh if you're going to Ewood clap your hands" repeatedly. For the shifty idlers with £15 of ale money burning a hole in their back pocket, waiting for the landlord to turn over to British Eurosport, a big " Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" accompanied by appropriate hand gestures, should be proffered. Shame 'em back to Ewood for future matches

BP - the big net and railings aren't essential to the safe standing concept... BB - your heart and head still function if you're on your feet! Missing Reidy's screamer at Wigan obviously still rankles with you but why deny some fans the right to enjoy their matchday experience standing ( I admit, it isn't for everyone nor would it be compulsory). <And again, I've never felt that standing makes me any more or any less part of the action.> Most would tend to disagree with this, it is far easier to support actively from on your feet. Active supporting is more fun (and even a spectacle for those other, more passive spectators) and enhances the atmosphere in the ground and for the all-important TV viewer. It is also a differentiating factor as regards 'supporting' a team via electronic media.

Almost every Rovers fan stood for the entire game at Salzburg a week ago and the support generated was pretty impressive (particularly for the numbers and demographic)...you'd certainly want to be a part of it as a supporter. The 'old gate debate' and 'killing us' threads are ignoring what makes actually being in a stadium as opposed to anywhere else worthwhile - that is being part of the event not passively spectating. I've been in Rovers support (home and away - after wins, losses and draws) when the players have genuinely responded to the backing they've received, not told to by their manager - recognition that supporters were intrinsic to the professional game. This is sadly no longer the way of things - we are now simply customers to be relieved of as many leisure pounds as is feasible. Not ignoring the cost and TV factors regarding Ewood home attendance but the disillusionment and dislocation many feel could be blown away with the return of safe standing (novelty for younger fans, nostalgia for older). Maybe one day the Riverside terrace could be sloped instead of flat! Good luck to the West Ham protest May as well have a third thread on attendance (the other two are losing the plot anyway!)

Off on a bit of a tangent but type 'Blackburn Warehouse Party' into youtube search for a bit of rave nostalgia...

FLB makes some very cogent points on this thread regarding attendance - don't know why he seems to receive such flak... It was £13 to get a Riverside ticket for a 5 year old's third Ewood trip today (previously carried over the turnstiles) Great win though and nice one, Gally

If anyone is hanging around after the match, and happens to be in Munich on Saturday (and fancy a half-time stein, especially if Rovers are in front).... When will Oktoberfest 2006 take place? On Saturday, September 16th, the Schottenhamel tent is the place to be, if you want to catch the official opening ceremonies. At noontime, 12pm, the lord mayor of Munich will have the honor of tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. Once the barrel has been tapped, all visitors will then be allowed to quench their thirst. It pays to arrive early in order to experience the festivities up close and personal and it’s quite common for visitors to come around 9am to secure good seats. The festival will last until October 3, 2006. What are the opening hours? Beer Serving Hours Weekdays: 10am - 10:30pm Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 9am - 10:30pm Daily Tent Closing Time: 11:30pm The "Käfer Wiesn-Schänke" and the "Weinzelt" are open until 1am. Last call for alcohol: 12:15am.