How disappointing, after a long wait. Not keen on the  pale blue and on opposite side, but the sponsor kills it completely. It looks like someone has spilled ink on the shirt.  Not sure I'd even buy this one when it reduces to £10. :-(

I think this will be an internal thing, Lynsey Talbot and such staff promoted in admin roles 

On ‎04‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 13:23, Bigdoggsteel said:

Is there any football stadium where this is actually possible? 20-30 min queue at most stadiums I have been at. 

I think the contactless payments and multi pour pumps being introduced will help with this a lot.

5 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

What is the Raos long term strategy for the club? Not Mowbrays, not Waggotts, theirs. 

Do they, off the record at least, acknowledge the mistakes they have made? 

What, if anything, is being done to tap into the Indian market?

 

The owners are lovely people and are committed to the club long term Waffle Waffle Waffle

The owners are learning Waffle Waffle Waffle

The owners are still looking at the Indian market, more waffle

I don't get the whole segregation issue personally, it's two separate stands. You see many games even local derbies with just a row of steps and stewards between rival supporters. I cannot see the club encouraging a standing area unless there is a change in legislation and safe standing installed. 

50 minutes ago, JHRover said:

If the club are going to be promoting this have they said what they are planning on doing for those season ticket holders in W01 who will be affected? Will these people be warned before buying that they are going to be in the new singing/flag waving area or will they just find that out at 2:50pm on the first game of the season? Are they going to enforce seating allocations or just allow people to go wherever they want? What happens for the bigger games vs Preston and Bolton etc. when the club choses to net off large areas of W01 meaning the inevitable result will be spill-over into W02?

We did ask about unallocated seating and Steve Waggot was open and honest in saying that this would not be the case. To be fair in the past when moved from DE many have moved into these areas, and Im not aware of any issues it has caused. The flags are only used as a rule at Kick Off so wont be a problem, I don't think the club need to pre warn a season ticket holder that people may sing near them?

On ‎26‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 23:25, Mattyblue said:

Think it’s a shame that there is this bizarre Blackburn/Darwen End rivalry for some folk, just imagine a packed BBurn End every week, but it is what it is, I suppose.

Moving forward how are you/the club going to try and promote it, so it is more than a couple of hundred lads in there?

Will there be banners, flags etc?

I wouldn't say its a rivalry, I just Ewood is better with some noise in all ends.

The club are going to promote it through social media etc, yes the flags that the DE crowd funded for will move to the JW as will the drummer. The BBE is improving noise wise just need the side stands to step up and all should be good.

On 27/05/2018 at 09:18, mrssusan said:

I apologise if it sounded condescending it wasn't meant to. I just want to understand that's all. What makes these people so different that they don't want to sit in the main home areas but isolate themselves in a part of the ground with a terrible view.

is it simply to goad the away fans?

I would suggest that the Jack Walker stand, is a "main home area" The view from there is fantastic, close to the pitch with great facilities. The club like the idea of a bit of noise in ALL 3 home areas. 

Your all more than welcome to join us in the JW, its just personal preference. The club like the idea

46 minutes ago, only2garners said:

At the Fans Forum on Tuesday Steve said he was going to meet a group of DE fans and he was bullish about finding a solution that would work for you. I think as long as any existing season ticket holders are looked after as well it could work out OK.

Steve was very positive and likes the idea, the club are going to promote this idea. He is aware of the need to find a solution that works for us all, fans from DE, those wishing to move into the JW lower and importantly those already in the JW lower. I think it could work out well for all concerned. Anything that improves the atmosphere and match day experience as got to be good for all Rovers fans.  

1 hour ago, Vinjay17 said:

Try saying the nets are unsafe if someone gets tangled up in them. ?

No issue with some netted off area tbh, they are also good for flags and banners

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

If that’s the case won’t that will leave you with a very small area to create this zone before you start hitting existing ST holders?

The far corner of W01 is quite small and not great seats, I'd guess each block holds around 300-400 ish so that leaves the bigger part of W01 then W02 I don't think there are many season tickets in there, but I'm sure it would be fantastic if it was all pretty full....

14 minutes ago, Vinjay17 said:

Guess so especially as those gawping at the away fans probably want to sit as close as possible. Obviously it's different with nets, etc when another section has been closed have to assume it won't be netted off anymore.

I imagine H&S will insist on the corner of W01 being netted off.

16 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

He likes the idea of the singers in The JW enclosure near the DE?

Yes I was pleasantly surprised at how positive he and the club are about it. I look forward to working with the club on this.

Had a really positive meeting with Steve Waggot about this last night, he and the club like the idea and are looking into ways to promote it with us.

2 hours ago, Gav said:

Not read the whole thread but was this decision run past the fans groups? 

The move certainly makes sense to anyone not impacted by the closure, unlike moving the family stand which for me was a disgrace. 

In a word NO

The problem we continue to have is that we are only a heartbeat away from another Venky / advisor Coyle type of appointment.  

On ‎13‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 14:44, Stuart said:

The family stand was moved not closed - and to be fair has been a huge success. One of very few - if not the only - successes.

I also understand why closing the DE could make sense. I just don’t see how closing the Riverside could work. There is nowhere else for them to go - unless they move the family stand back to the BBE upper. If the DE was full every week then it might be a different story but it wasn’t. I also think that the behaviour of those johnny-come-latelies who went for the DE unreserved seating last weekend creating massive groups who then embarrassed us all by charging the pitch during play won’t have helped matters. The genuine DE regulars looked to all still be in the stand but the chancers didn’t do you any favours.

Whether it was closed or moved is a side point, it was done without consultation and upset many fans, some of whom did not renew. The same argument could be used for the Darwen End Singing section isn't closing just moving to W02 in the JW lower albeit without the assistance of the club (at this moment in time).

23 hours ago, Songman said:

In fairness there has been trouble at the back of the Darwen end almost every home game this season,  just check out other teams forums and most mention it. Whilst this is a minority, the number of kids involved has seemed to grow week by week. I’m sure this will have been taken into account when closing it, due to the bigger followings and higher risk of violence next season.

To be fair Stuart and Songman, this move wont do anything to stop the morons. The club should like many others do and hold back the away fans for 10 minutes if the think there is a bad atmosphere. The idiots will simply walk from whatever stand they are in and loiter around the Darwen End.

Lets not forget that many of the pitch invaders came from the Blackburn End and I may add from what I have seen several assaults took place in the Blackburn End. Now I don't condone pitch invading but in my eyes assaulting a person is more serious.

On ‎12‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 02:07, old darwen blue said:

So if some think that evicting me and others who want to be in the Darwen End is a good idea then the same can be applied to the Riverside. The JWU would be filled up nicely and let’s face it, the owners can’t see the Riverside from where the cameras now are. 

 

 

Oh and if you think shutting the Riverside is crazy then how do you think us Darren Enders feel. 

Whats good fert goose an all that.  

The family stand was closed without consultation
The Darwen End Home section closed without consultation
Nothing makes The Riverside safe an empty Riverside wouldn't be shown on TV

25 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Darwen end isn’t closed, Paul. Away fans are going to be in it. It could even help with segregation. People will get used to their new seats.

Can’t see the Riverside closing any time soon. It’s getting regular use by a majority and is the ‘cheap seat’ area. Lose that and it becomes a real squeeze and they will have to pay JW Upper prices. Doesn’t make economic sense.

My only real beef is the loss of unreserved seating. (Like we have for away games - apparently.  ). There is a market for it and it can help to grow the fanbase as bringing a mate (or kids) along is really easy.

If / When the Riverside is affected its more likely to be safety issues, although I suppose economics do come to it as the stand needs serious renovation.

Blackburn End Upper...... CLOSED
Darwen End.........CLOSED  

Riverside.........NEXT?   Just think about it

Sad to hear on the back of promotion, the club have taken a decision that has already had fans saying they wont renew now. No lessons learnt from the family stand closure.

3 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Do you know the club will put the away fans in the 'traditional' away half of the Darwen End?

Knowing that those that like a bit of banter will be close to them in the DE side of the Jack Walker, they may put them in the other half...

The club obviously think all the Darwen End will be needed most weeks or why even bother closing another home section of the stadium?

13 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Would the Darwen End side of the Riverside not be the best area?

No JW has proved popular in the past when Darwen End has been relocated.

Closer to the pitch than Riverside
Much Better Stand and facilities than the Riverside
Smaller blocks of seats so easier to compact and generate atmosphere
Better View than the Riverside (no pillars)
Less seats already taken than the Riverside
Facing the TV cameras for banners etc
Most away fans will probably be placed in the part they have been previously. Not that many will merit the full lower tier being opened up I'd guess.

1 minute ago, AggyBlue said:

I just hope there isn't a vast swathe of netting over seats towards the DE.

There's a twenty foot gap FFS.

 They can be handy for flags and banners, I love a good banner.