Blackburn Nearly Sold Out
- Thread starter WensleydaleRed
- Start date
Redwurzel
Well-known member
My impression is that Blackburn is a football town, bit like Middlesbrough the local population has declined for the last 60 years as people moved away for work or better careers. The main local industry was cotton spinning and clothing (which brought alot of prosperity upto 1914) , then the Government moved new industries into the area in the inter war years, but that support had dropped off since 1979 and the new industries have reduced too. Leaving a large manufacturing town with little or no manufacturing. Jack Walker left a £300m legacy when he sold his steelstockholding business and give the proceeds to Rovers in the early 1990s and they were the biggest spenders in the UK for several years, before the foreign billionaires moved into the Premier League from 2003. The town was a product of the Industrial Revolution and the new Victorian inhabitants wanted to give themselves a local identity by supporting a local professional football club and there is still a legacy of this. The clubs catchment area is quite small partly because they are a lot of local competing clubs - Burnley, Accrington, Preston all within 15 miles. They usually bring around 1000 to the Riverside, a bit more than Preston, a bit less than Burnley.
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Like Boro, a town with more than its share of deprivation, which impacts upon attendances, home and away.
gizasqueezemister
Well-known member
Isn't Diaz suspended for Mondays game ?
NorthumberlandBoro
Well-known member
Be careful with the calculation of tickets sold.
When the third block was released yesterday, only part of the block was initially available.
Unless the rest of the block was subsequently released we won't be near 3000.
The remaining seats of the third block are confined to one small area of the block.
When the third block was released yesterday, only part of the block was initially available.
Unless the rest of the block was subsequently released we won't be near 3000.
The remaining seats of the third block are confined to one small area of the block.
TeaCider
Well-known member
No, but Chile play Argentina next Friday (00:15, so effectively Thursday) so there's a good chance that Brereton Diaz is a away on international duty when we play them, unless Chile allow him to join up late and have no prior training with the squad before their biggest international match.
It takes nearly 24 hours to fly to Santiago from Manchester, he'd be on a very tight schedule.
This is a vital World Cup qualifier too and Chile need to win, they'll surely call up their strongest possible squad.
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NorthumberlandBoro
Well-known member
The Barnsley away end holds 6000 in theory, but in recent years has been restricted to 4.5 to 4.7k.
I think we may get a few more as they’re having low crowds and will be happy with the money.
Sure to be a sell out regardless
indeedido
Well-known member
Blackburn Darwin is a smallish place and they are surrounded by other small places with old football clubs. Preston, Burnley, Bolton are each under 15 miles away, Blackpool 20 miles. That's before considering Manchester 26 miles and Liverpool 30 miles and four big clubs. Even little Accrington 5 miles away has a fan base that impacts them.
Blackburn will never draw much support from beyond it.
Burnley is even smaller, more or less the same size as Darlington which makes their gates very good.
These Lancashire clubs are land locked.
junos_boots
Well-known member
Is it in a FIFA agreed 'window'? If not then Chile are relying on goodwill, so my guess is Diaz plays against us.
TeaCider
Well-known member
They probably are relying on goodwill, but it's a vital FIFA World Cup qualifier.
I'd guess it depends on what Ben Brereton wants to do.
He's out of contract in the summer, so they probably can't afford to annoy him and keep him against his will.
That's assuming they're not trying to sell him this window.
NorthumberlandBoro
Well-known member
And looks like there are still a load more unrealised in the same block.
Redwurzel
Well-known member
Ref Blocks
Cheers posters - I recognise now 3,000 were not released, but in theory available if required.
If there are 1000 in each block, Boro fans has probably bought around 2,550 so far.
To me anything above 2,000 for mid season Monday night SKY away game is very good going.
Leeds (Big City club 65 miles away) have struggled to sell 2,800 tickets for the Riverside for a mid week game and probably only managed it once (mid week).
Cheers posters - I recognise now 3,000 were not released, but in theory available if required.
If there are 1000 in each block, Boro fans has probably bought around 2,550 so far.
To me anything above 2,000 for mid season Monday night SKY away game is very good going.
Leeds (Big City club 65 miles away) have struggled to sell 2,800 tickets for the Riverside for a mid week game and probably only managed it once (mid week).
NorthumberlandBoro
Well-known member
Who is CRO ?
Redwurzel
Well-known member
Amazing number of clubs in Central Lancashire and North Manchester area
Rochdale, (Bury), Bolton, Wigan, Accrington, Preston, Blackburn, Blackpool, Fleetwood, Oldham.
We call the North East - the hotbed of football - but we never had more than 6 League professional clubs.
indeedido
Well-known member
Five founder members of the original Football League in that list too if you add in Burnley.
The North East have had a fair few professional League clubs over the years - Durham City, Ashington, Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Boro, Nops, Darlo, Pools. Stockton just missed out on election in 1951
Cogeur_le_Conq
Well-known member
The FA were headquartered in the NW at Lytham St Annes. I wonder if that had any bearing on the high number of professional clubs in NW as opposed to the NE. I doubt it.