The Rovers Return

Rovers fans have been extremely fickle for a long while.

Since the days of Jack Walker, Rovers fans have forgotten their roots and expect success constantly. We are all guilty, at times, of forgetting that without his input we would probably be battling it out with the likes of Accy every week.

But some, having tasted the ultimate prize in 1995, will not be satisfied with the way Rovers play and our at times negative “let’s just do enough to stay up” attitude.

The point I am getting to is, if you come to watch the Rovers, whether we are winning, losing or drawing, support the lads. From start to finish.

The picture here I took at the Bolton game. It looks like it must have been taken at the end of the game. But, in fact, it was taken with more than five minutes to go with Rovers 3-0 up against a local rival.

When will these people be satisfied enough to stay with the game and watch it go the distance?

I sit in the Blackburn End lower tier. Unfortunately, I sit pretty much adjacent to one of the tunnel things that brings fans out into the stands. Every single match I have the same whinge with the person next to me about the swarms of people who leave their seats and then, instead of leaving, stand at the top of the tunnel, with no regard for the fact there are people now behind them who can’t see.

I can’t understand the mentality of paying all that money for tickets/season tickets, only to do a disappearing act with up to 10 minutes remaining. We’re all football fans, we all know that those last few minutes can be the most important of the game with decisive goals often occurring in those closing stages.

Maybe the fans who don’t want to stay all game should be able to buy a half season ticket and only actually be allowed to watch 45 minutes of a match.

The Riverside has been plagued with “early leaver syndrome” for years now. A couple of years ago, in the time where I didn’t have a season ticket, I had to sit there for a match against Sunderland. I was shocked to hear an announcement made over the Tannoy, asking fans to be aware of fans remaining in their seats when making their early exit from the stand.

I can understand it maybe once or twice a season. This season, my Dad has had to leave early on a couple of occasions, usually when the game has been moved to stupid o’clock on a Sunday when he has to get away to spend time with t’wife. But every game? It’s just ridiculous.

I’m not having the “I like to beat the traffic” argument. If your only concern on a Saturday is beating the traffic, don’t go to the football you moron.

Right, rant over. I expect to see lots of early leaving tomorrow if we get the drubbing we are expected to receive.