Blackburn fans can send clear message after proving their power

Whether it be ridiculous TV times, stewarding, public transport or ticket prices, the lifeblood of the nation's greatest sport is being taken for granted again. As if the pandemic never happened.

Without fans, the product we all enjoy, whether as fans, media or neutrals, is a shadow of itself. The behind-closed-doors matches were depressing and the football monotonous. We all live for packed-out stadiums, the vibrant atmosphere and the smell of a burger van outside the ground.

Blackburn Rovers and their supporters are doing their level best to give the power back to the biggest stakeholders, the fans. On Saturday, December 23, Rovers have their second 'Fans takeover'; the aim is pretty simple. To give the fans their chance to show what a matchday experience should look like.

After a successful pilot event during the pre-season friendly against Girona in July, Supporters Trust ‘We Are The Rovers’, BRFCS/4000 Holes, RoversChat and Rovers Community Trust have joined forces to make the game a matchday to remember.

With times particularly tough as the cost-of-living crisis grips the nation, and Christmas just around the corner, ticket prices have been slashed to £11 for adults for Watford's visit to Ewood Park. One pound of that will go directly to the Community Trust, supporting the invaluable work they do around the local area.

Watford have bought in too. The cheap tickets have been extended to away fans, with the Hornets putting on subsidised coach travel for £10, making it an affordable day for home and away supporters.

So, why is this so important? Well, there is a chicken-and-egg scenario for football clubs. The simple equation should be, half-price tickets, double the attendance? Well, that isn’t always the case.

But if you can get more footfall before and after matches, maybe the numbers can stack up. A matchday experience can be more than turning up for an overpriced pie at 2:30pm.

Rovers hope the cheaper tickets will bring more fans through the turnstiles (Image: Camerasport)

  
There will be local food trucks offering the elite Footy Scran as well as stalls and other family entertainment, located at the Blackburn End before kick-off. 
  
For Dan Ainsworth of RoversChat, the 23rd will be a day to prove that this pricing structure is sustainable for fans and the club. It’s also about creating a matchday culture, not just a habit. 
  
“Ticket pricing has been an issue that we have criticised on the channel,” he told The Lancashire Telegraph. “We believe cheaper tickets will bring fans back. I think it’s a good opportunity to push it and show higher attendances can be achieved. 
  
“We need to show fans that there is more than just the match, a matchday experience. It’s good we now have this chance to show that doing things before will get people to attend. 
  
“We don’t expect cheap tickets every game, but we want to show people will come. We know the club is a business, they need to make money. We want to prove that we can bring in food revenue and other means to balance the lower ticket prices. That’s our project and hope people will turn up. 
  
“We want people to turn up at 1pm, not 2:45pm. It’s about getting the atmosphere going a few hours before the game, getting them ready to go and support the club. At the moment, it’s just a routine. It needs to be a day out.” 
  
As well as promoting fan engagement, there is a charity element to get behind this initiative too. One pound of each adult ticket sale goes to the Community Trust to support the vital work they do. 
  
On top of that, over £3,000 has been raised by BRFCS/4000 Holes. Their sterling fundraising has rallied the Blackburn community to ensure as many kids can attend as is physically possible. The rest of those donations will be used to ensure kids across Blackburn and Darwen wake up with a present at Christmas, as well as other imperative projects. 

Tomasson hopes the crown will give Rovers a boost against Watford (Image: Camerasport)
  
"We wanted to contribute by raising some money to make a difference. We spoke withthe Community Trust and discovered the depth of the amazing work they do,” Ian Herbert of BRFCS/4000 Holes told The Lancashire Telegraph. “We can't imagine anything worse than a kid being hungry at Christmas and not having a present. 
  
"We wanted to galvanise our fan base. Girona set the precedent where people couldn't make the game but wanted to buy a ticket for others. It's the season of goodwill and with family coming back home, or people overseas, it's been a chance to harness the energy that is there. 
  
"Our fan base is amazing, if you give them the chance to rally behind something, they will. I think it's an incredibly generous crowd, maybe not the biggest or noisiest but there is a lot of latent goodwill. We have been overwhelmed by some of the donations." 
  
On the event itself, he added: "This is a testing bed as much as anything, you don't have to be Einstein to work out if it's cheaper, you'll get more people in the ground. 
  
"The equation that the finance people will look at is, do you get twice as many people for half the price? At a time of year that is increasingly expensive, the argument we make is you have to start building a habit, get them in young. 
  
"There are things we can do to get people to spend more and if you can convince people to spend whilst they are there, you can increase the overall matchday income. 
  
"I think this has to be seen as an investment. We're hoping this is the start of a medium-term, coherent strategy. Our hope is that ticket sales will be significantly higher, not just because of the pricing, but because of the event itself. 
  
"Fans identify with the players and the head coach, they have never been disengaged with Blackburn Rovers, but this helps to build a bond with those in charge and in forming coherent strategies.  
  
"Our hopes and aspirations are that the day is better, we get the result, kids that wouldn't have been able to go can now and any surplus money goes to tremendous causes that the Community Trust can use." 
  
Rovers have only surpassed the 20,000 mark at Ewood Park twice this season. On both occasions, Preston North End and Leeds United, the figure was bolstered due to bloated away ends. Rovers have averaged around 12 to 14 thousand home fans across the calendar year. 
  
With family travelling home for Christmas and a buzz around the game, Jon Dahl Tomasson is hoping that the goodwill of the season will spread onto the pitch too. The Rovers head coach has long campaigned for many of the core issues at the heart of fans’ frustration. A packed-out Ewood Park has an intangible impact on the team too. 
  
“I think it's brilliant that people are donating their time to help the club and football,” he said. “We need those people, it's a brilliant thing to do. 
  
"It's always important to have a good connection with the fans. We want points and they can always help us when we're away or at home. The more supporters, the better. 
  
"I want a lot of people in the stadium around Christmas. People are travelling back, and football is a family thing in my head. You go with your family or with your mates. It's a great chance to use those days to go to Ewood as well."