Blackburn away

[SoccerHQ]

I've always seen Blackburn as having similar support to Bolton.

Even when they were doing well in the prem there were getting 25k in a 30k ground. In fairness it isn't the biggest place and I can understand them protesting at their owners who aren't the best to put it mildly.

We'll sell the full 7-8k I reckon.

[QuintonVilla]

Just had a look on Twitter, Leeds had 6900 for Blackburn and sold 6400. Newcastle had 6850 and sold out.

[Jean Quereue-Quereue]

No trains from Wigan to Preston on the 29th, boo.  I'm thinking of going via Manchester to Bolton then getting a bus to outside the ground.

[dave.woodhall]

Apparently we aren't  taking the full allocation up front.  3,500 thousand  up front and can take the rest if there is demand.

Of course there is the demand.  Why do Villa mess about when they know the allocation will sell.

Because they might not sell. A couple of defeats, including one the week before, demand slumps accordingly and we could be left with a bill of fifty grand. 

[cdbearsfan]

They'll sell easily, tbf. Last away game of the season always goes well.

[four fornicholl]

They'll sell easily, tbf. Last away game of the season always goes well.

We may well be playing for something really important too. Believe.

[SoccerHQ]

No trains from Wigan to Preston on the 29th, boo.  I'm thinking of going via Manchester to Bolton then getting a bus to outside the ground.

Pretty sure there's a train to Blackburn from Victoria, also stops at Darwen which isn't too far from Ewood.

[AVH87]

We usually have a good turnout for our last away of the season so I wouldn't be amazed.

That said, I know they're only from a small-town, but they're still a massive club and it must be a bit disappointing for them if they can't attract 24,000 of their own fans for a crucial game against the biggest club in the division.

Really? They've never averaged higher than 30k in their history, I don't think they were ever likely to be getting a gate close to that when they are at the bottom of the second level.

Which are you querying? If it's the bit in bold, I don't consider size of crowds to be the sole indicator of a club's largesse. That's a bit of a weird Newcastle-type argument. They've won ten major honours, the same as Newcastle and more than Leeds, both examples of clubs who are generally regarded as being big by the media.

Judging what you've written, you seem surprised that I've suggested they could get close to 30k. Given that we've, apparently, got anything up to 8,000 tickets that doesn't seem unreasonable to me. It's only 22-23,000 home fans. And teams near the bottom are more likely to attract big crowds, as a rule, than mid-table clubs as it matters more.

The massive club line surprised me the most, I've never even considered them big. 3 Trophies in the last 100 years (used that timeframe as Leeds have only been formed 98 years), Leeds and Newcastle have both won more than double that in that time and have far bigger fan bases and glass ceilings imo. They really don't have the fan base to get close to 30k for a Championship game, nowhere near.

[Ads]

If there's 17,000 on the gate I'll be surprised.

There's no way they're going to get an extra 10k on.

They're a small provincial club.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Has anyone found a decent / affordable way of doing this by train? I can't see anything for less than £55 return, and that's taking nearly 3 hours each way with two changes.

[cdbearsfan]

We usually have a good turnout for our last away of the season so I wouldn't be amazed.

That said, I know they're only from a small-town, but they're still a massive club and it must be a bit disappointing for them if they can't attract 24,000 of their own fans for a crucial game against the biggest club in the division.

Really? They've never averaged higher than 30k in their history, I don't think they were ever likely to be getting a gate close to that when they are at the bottom of the second level.

Which are you querying? If it's the bit in bold, I don't consider size of crowds to be the sole indicator of a club's largesse. That's a bit of a weird Newcastle-type argument. They've won ten major honours, the same as Newcastle and more than Leeds, both examples of clubs who are generally regarded as being big by the media.

Judging what you've written, you seem surprised that I've suggested they could get close to 30k. Given that we've, apparently, got anything up to 8,000 tickets that doesn't seem unreasonable to me. It's only 22-23,000 home fans. And teams near the bottom are more likely to attract big crowds, as a rule, than mid-table clubs as it matters more.

The massive club line surprised me the most, I've never even considered them big. 3 Trophies in the last 100 years (used that timeframe as Leeds have only been formed 98 years), Leeds and Newcastle have both won more than double that in that time and have far bigger fan bases and glass ceilings imo. They really don't have the fan base to get close to 30k for a Championship game, nowhere near.

Only counting recent trophies is a very Small Heath way of doing things.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Is the lower tier under shelter? I can't remember where I sat when I attended.

I believe we sat in the upper tier, think there was a roof over our heads though.

Seem to remember Cuellar almost scoring a cracker.

[wittonwarrior]

Up date on train situation there and back. (track from Wigan to Preston  closed from 11am on the day of the match.

if you get to Wigan by 11am then you will still Preston.  On way back there is a train from Blackburn to Manchester Victoria (takes just over an hour)  and its only a 15 min walk back to Piccadilly.  Alternatively, for me its easy train from Blackburn back to Preston and then a rattler to Ormskirk where I can catch a train back  to  Sandhills and then to Bootle. 

Anyone living east of Birmingham can also get a train from Blackburn back to Leeds and down the east coast line.

[Jean Quereue-Quereue]

Has anyone found a decent / affordable way of doing this by train? I can't see anything for less than £55 return, and that's taking nearly 3 hours each way with two changes.

Splitting it as Brum - Man Pic / Man Vic - Blackburn gets it to £46 return.  There's free buses, the metro,  or a good walk between the two stations in Mancland.  Still thinking the number 1 bus from Bolton's the best way as I'm a lazy bugger and it stops outside the ground.

[Walmley_Villa]

Blackburn has a population of @ 100,000 so a home turnout of 20k is pretty good when compared to...