Rovers Fans Trust

[Barmitzvah Boy]

I just saw this on Facebook. It sounds like some decent and positive engagement is taking place with our Club. About time.


Newsletter: October 2023

All change in the hot seat:

After five years at the helm of the Trust, during which he has overseen some major changes, John Murray has decided to retire as Trust Chair to enable more time for his business ventures and his family life. He leaves the Trust in a strong position. The Board elected Mike Graham as interim Chair and thanked John for his time, effort and enthusiasm while wishing him well in his next venture.

Next Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Agenda:

We have already decided on the following agenda items for our next meeting with the Club. If any member has any suggestions as to other items please email the Chair on chair@roverstrust.com

- 'Fans Takeover' v Watford 23rd December 2023
- Safe Standing
- Club Finances (including the impact of Owner funding following the asset seizure) and Communications (eg Cardiff Carabao Cup Game 26th September 2023)
- 150th Anniversary Celebrations 2025
- Trust Open Meeting
- Post meeting joint communications
- Season Ticket prices 2024/25

Sponsorship of Blackburn Rovers Women:

We are THE Rovers are pleased to have sponsored two of the women players. We also plan to have a Trust stall at their game at Leyland on the 15th October.

'Fans Takeover'

We Are THE Rovers have just formally agreed with the Club to work on another 'Fans Takeover' on 23rd December v Watford. We have a planning meeting with the Club on 19th October and we plan to extend a welcome to brfcs.com along with RoversChat, the South Asian Supporters Group and Proud Rovers.

The theme will be a "Blue & White Christmas" and it will be supplemented with flags and banners and we encourage fans to also bring their own. WATCH THIS SPACE!!

150th Anniversary Celebrations:

We have impressed on the Club the need to involve supporters at an early stage in the planning for 2025. This has been agreed albeit the details of involvement need to be agreed. We have a Trust Board member, Steve Williams, who leads on heritage issues, if you have any ideas on recognising and promoting our 150 years of heritage please contact him via heritage@roverstrust.co.uk

Trust Open Meeting:

Our last Newsletter erroneously stated a meeting would be held involving either Steve Waggott and / or Gregg Broughton in October. This has not been agreed and was news to the Club; our discussions however are now focussed on a Trust open meeting hopefully with John Dahl Tomasson around February 2024.

Safe Standing:

We are attending a meeting with the Club on 3rd October to discuss a Safe Standing section. Key issues include: where; when; licensing authority agreement; consultation with fans and of course financing. The Trust have produced a brief paper for the meeting and copies are available to members on request.

Blackburn End Closure:

The Trust have expressed our disappointment and disapproval at the closing of the BBE for the Cardiff Carabo Cup game. We expressed concern at the lack of effective communications for the reasons and the fact the closure was 'hidden' in the ticketing announcement. We do not feel the financial case is a strong one and that the decision has sadly alienated a good number of the Rovers fanbase.

We Are THE Rovers Website and Membership System:

We are acutely aware of the ageing look and navigation of our website and the long term failings in our membership system. We have agreed to invest in a new site and a new membership system which should enable us to better communicate with members. Work starts on this in October. If you have any queries about your membership please contact our Membership Secretary Janet Rutter on membership@roverstrust.co.uk

 

[goozburger.]

'Fans Takeover'

We Are THE Rovers have just formally agreed with the Club to work on another 'Fans Takeover' on 23rd December v Watford. We have a planning meeting with the Club on 19th October and we plan to extend a welcome to brfcs.com along with RoversChat, the South Asian Supporters Group and Proud Rovers.

The theme will be a "Blue & White Christmas" and it will be supplemented with flags and banners and we encourage fans to also bring their own. WATCH THIS SPACE!!

Ticket prices for this have been announced. £11 for adults (with £1 going to the BRCT), £5 for concessions, and £2 for kids.

That should see a very good crowd!

 

[blueandwhitehalves]

We Are THE Rovers have just formally agreed with the Club to work on another 'Fans Takeover' on 23rd December v Watford. We have a planning meeting with the Club on 19th October and we plan to extend a welcome to brfcs.com along with RoversChat, the South Asian Supporters Group and Proud Rovers.

What about roversfans.com! Are we persona non grata since breaking from brfcs? Speaking of which, not sure its a good idea having that lot there unless they want to listen to people moaning about us no longer challenging for the PL top 6

I'm always accidentally a bit harsh on these things, given its people giving up their free time and effort, which I can't be bothered to do. But a few things I'm not sure about on that agenda:

1. What's this "We are THE Rovers" name all about? Isn't it called the Rovers Trust? Doesn't strike me as good marketing/branding to start having 2 names. And capitalising THE looks slightly weird, although I guess it puts Doncaster, Bristol and Tranmere in their place...

2. I cringe at the thought that this planned meeting with JDT is going to involve the Trust making suggestions as to how he should do his job. If its just a fun event for the fans then fair enough.

3. Safe standing has been talked about for over a decade now. I assume it's a nightmare in cost and legal/H&S wrangling, so is there any point keep flogging what is likely a dead horse, when the focus could be on improving the atmosphere at Ewood?

But like the rest of it and good on them for working with the club. I'm glad there's more harmony these days as for me, once Venkys got rid of Darth Sidious/Jerome Anderson and his collection of bellends, they've really backed the club and deserve credit.

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

Ticket prices for this have been announced. £11 for adults (with £1 going to the BRCT), £5 for concessions, and £2 for kids.

That should see a very good crowd!

As they’ve invited the leftist elite from the dark side then I wouldn’t want anything to do with this. That site does not represent Rovers fans.

 

[Barmitzvah Boy]

What about roversfans.com! Are we persona non grata since breaking from brfcs? Speaking of which, not sure its a good idea having that lot there unless they want to listen to people moaning about us no longer challenging for the PL top 6

I'm always accidentally a bit harsh on these things, given its people giving up their free time and effort, which I can't be bothered to do. But a few things I'm not sure about on that agenda:

1. What's this "We are THE Rovers" name all about? Isn't it called the Rovers Trust? Doesn't strike me as good marketing/branding to start having 2 names. And capitalising THE looks slightly weird, although I guess it puts Doncaster, Bristol and Tranmere in their place...

2. I cringe at the thought that this planned meeting with JDT is going to involve the Trust making suggestions as to how he should do his job. If its just a fun event for the fans then fair enough.

3. Safe standing has been talked about for over a decade now. I assume it's a nightmare in cost and legal/H&S wrangling, so is there any point keep flogging what is likely a dead horse, when the focus could be on improving the atmosphere at Ewood?

But like the rest of it and good on them for working with the club. I'm glad there's more harmony these days as for me, once Venkys got rid of Darth Sidious/Jerome Anderson and his collection of bellends, they've really backed the club and deserve credit.

1. We Are The Rovers is to differentiate the Supporters Trust from the Club Community Trust as many fans, and the media kept getting the two mixed up.

2. I believe the possible meeting headlining JDT is an open meeting to get JDT to speak directly to the fans. It won’t be about telling him how to manage his players and tactics.

3. I am told the Club are very keen on Safe Standing as a way to both improve the match atmosphere and to help manage persistent standing. Standing in rail seats (safe standing) is far safer than standing with the traditional tip up seats. They even have safe standing in the Kop at Liverpool now along with about 20 other clubs across the leagues.

Thank goodness someone is positively engaging with the Club - it appears as if it is making a difference.

 

[1SimonGarner]

If anyone has any input, can we please have reduced tickets for short, fat, thick, bald over 50's living in lower Darwen please.

Being serious I think it's a good idea in general and can't do any harm. The prices for the Watford match are great and I can't see much of a downside really, anything's worth a try to lessen the disconnect that seems to have appeared in the recent past.

 

[goozburger.]

The prices for the Watford match are great and I can't see much of a downside really, anything's worth a try to lessen the disconnect that seems to have appeared in the recent past.

The last time we had a £10 match ticket, it caused an uproar because it was a midweek game and it's some conspiracy to do us all over and why couldn't we do it on a Saturday against Manchester United and why are the pies not free for students and why don't we get Mason Greenwood...

And then I logged out.

 

[blueandwhitehalves]

1. We Are The Rovers is to differentiate the Supporters Trust from the Club Community Trust as many fans, and the media kept getting the two mixed up.

2. I believe the possible meeting headlining JDT is an open meeting to get JDT to speak directly to the fans. It won’t be about telling him how to manage his players and tactics.

3. I am told the Club are very keen on Safe Standing as a way to both improve the match atmosphere and to help manage persistent standing. Standing in rail seats (safe standing) is far safer than standing with the traditional tip up seats. They even have safe standing in the Kop at Liverpool now along with about 20 other clubs across the leagues.

Thank goodness someone is positively engaging with the Club - it appears as if it is making a difference.

Fair enough, that all makes sense. For me improving the atmosphere is the be all and end all really. If there's a good atmosphere, its more fun and Rovers win more. And if its more fun and Rovers win more, that starts solving the attendance issue.

Its not an easy thing to do in a ground that's far too big for the size of the town (and taking into account its changing demographic), but 3 suggestions off the top of my head:

1. Sort the chronic beer situation in the concourses out. No matter where you sit in the ground, the service for alcohol is way too slow. They could pre-pour pints to be ready before the game and at half time, they could switch to only bottles, I'm sure there's other stuff. More alcohol served creates a better atmosphere and makes Rovers more money.

2. Get a drummer back (with a proper, loud drum) at the bottom of the Blackburn End. I know the old one used to get stick, but its the difference between "Barmy Army" being sung for 10 minutes at a time by the whole BBE lower tier, and being sung for 30 seconds by a scattering in the top right before they start singing it too fast and it dies out. Get the club to pay him a good whack to put up with some fans moaning about it.

3. I don't know if any club has ever done this, but how about asking the club to actively organise some kind of ultras section? Ask for volunteers to speak to the club about the club buying it flags, encouraging it to go in a certain area (top right of the BBE seems the obvious choice). Back when the Darwen End was going in the Big Sam days, there were 4 of us that met with the club a couple of times to talk about it contributing to flags, and they'd ask us to encourage no standing on the steps etc, for a brief time we had a really good dialogue with the club (course that was when Williams and Finn were at the helm).

 

[Drog]

Fair enough, that all makes sense. For me improving the atmosphere is the be all and end all really. If there's a good atmosphere, its more fun and Rovers win more. And if its more fun and Rovers win more, that starts solving the attendance issue.



1. Sort the chronic beer situation in the concourses out. No matter where you sit in the ground, the service for alcohol is way too slow. They could pre-pour pints to be ready before the game and at half time, they could switch to only bottles, I'm sure there's other stuff. More alcohol served creates a better atmosphere and makes Rovers more money.
Ditto with catering. Massive queues every home game even on low crowd days. I know it's franchised out but honestly it's dreadfully slow service due to cheap poorly trained staff and a too expansive menu. Get a bit of quality back with a decent selection of pies, hot dogs and chips. No more needed except for crisps.

2. Get a drummer back (with a proper, loud drum) at the bottom of the Blackburn End. I know the old one used to get stick, but its the difference between "Barmy Army" being sung for 10 minutes at a time by the whole BBE lower tier, and being sung for 30 seconds by a scattering in the top right before they start singing it too fast and it dies out. Get the club to pay him a good whack to put up with some fans moaning about it.
Plus a trumpeter

 

[1SimonGarner]

Is there nothing on the agenda to discuss a viewing platform for home and away disabled supporters BB?

At half time at the Leicester game I went to talk to the bloke who has his wheelchair at the front of our section in W01. He wasn't very talkative to be honest and maybe wasn't comfortable with a total stranger approaching him, but I asked him his thoughts on it. He said he was more than happy where he was because he was able to raise his chair up, but I'm sure that in this day and age, every modern football stadium of our size should have a purpose built raised platform to cater for disabled fans.

I'm just a bit surprised it's hardly ever mentioned.

 

[Drog]

We certainly have the room for it.

 

[Alan]

I am disabled and have a ST in the JW Upper but I rarely get to the matches because the steps in the aisle are far too big for me to manage. A handrail would make all the difference.

 

[goozburger.]

I am disabled and have a ST in the JW Upper but I rarely get to the matches because the steps in the aisle are far too big for me to manage. A handrail would make all the difference.

Al, I can email Steve Waggott about this on your behalf if you'd like me to. You support and fund the club, and it is certainly worth asking.

 

[Barmitzvah Boy]

I am disabled and have a ST in the JW Upper but I rarely get to the matches because the steps in the aisle are far too big for me to manage. A handrail would make all the difference.

Al, please email Christina Haines at the Club on chaines@rovers.co.uk

She is excellent and will be helpful in terms if assisting with access.

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

I am disabled and have a ST in the JW Upper but I rarely get to the matches because the steps in the aisle are far too big for me to manage. A handrail would make all the difference.

Have you asked the stewards to help you up Al, I thought that was part of their purpose in being there?

 

[Alan]

Al, I can email Steve Waggott about this on your behalf if you'd like me to. You support and fund the club, and it is certainly worth asking.

I would be really grateful if something could be done. I have kept up my season ticket for years because I want to support the club but have only been able to attend about once or twice a season. I'm not prepared to go to the lower level as the view from there is not a patch on the JW Upper, My seat is Row 6 Seat 74.
The steward is really helpful and will hold my arm as I go off but I have to leave early and I hate that.

 

[goozburger.]

I would be really grateful if something could be done. I have kept up my season ticket for years because I want to support the club but have only been able to attend about once or twice a season. I'm not prepared to go to the lower level as the view from there is not a patch on the JW Upper, My seat is Row 6 Seat 74.
The steward is really helpful and will hold my arm as I go off but I have to leave early and I hate that.

I understand. I've sent a polite email to his office to see if they will consider doing something to help. I'll keep you updated with regards to a response.

 

[Alan]

I understand. I've sent a polite email to his office to see if they will consider doing something to help. I'll keep you updated with regards to a response.

Thanks

 

[goozburger.]

It looks like the two email addresses for Steve Waggott that I have are now rejecting external emails. I've sent it to Christina Haines instead, so we'll see what comes of it.

 

[1SimonGarner]

Al's plight highlights the need for at least one of these viewing platforms. In the modern world a loyal fan should never have to miss matches consistently because of access worries.

It should be a priority.