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Blackburn Rovers star Warnock hits out at critics
10:10am Saturday 11th October 2008
By Andy Cryer »
A DEFIANT Stephen Warnock insists Paul Ince’s Rovers regime will have the last laugh after slamming the critics for treating the club as an “easy target”.
The Blackburn Rovers left-back admits he has been shocked by a string of “untrue” stories claiming disharmony at Ewood before warning the culprits they won’t disrupt the Ince revolution.
Warnock believes some have used Ince’s relative manager-ial inexperience as an excuse to ‘pick on Rovers’ and has accused the knockers of being out of order.
He has rubbished the latest claims that Chilean sensation Carlos Villanueva is living an English nightmare – putting it down as just another example of unfair scare-mongering.
He said: “If you look at Carlos every day, he looks very happy and is getting to know the lads and is a good character to have around the place.
“That is the thing isn’t it? Where do these stories come from?
“I really don’t know why all this has happened. One problem was that people were already jumping on the manager because he didn’t have his coaching badges and things.
“The club became a bit of a target ,which was out of order on the club because I think the manager has agreed to do his badges and the press still jump on it. I think it is just one of those things. You can’t do anything about it. The national press pick what they want to write and will stick with it as long as they can – it doesn’t seem to matter if it is true.”
Ince was given a Premier League baptism of fire when his arrival at Ewood sparked reports of player unrest, disharmony and basic squad meltdown.
His squad quickly proved the doubters wrong with their performances on the field but Warnock admits he still does not understand where it all stemmed from.
He said: “When you have a couple of big name players leave, as in Brad and Bents then I think people will look to see if there is unrest.
“But they were decisions made purely on the money that was made for David and it was a stage in Brad’s career where he felt he needed a new challenge.
“He had a very good club come in for him and probably the money offered was perfect for him.
“I think perhaps people jumped on the bandwagon and think that players are for sale and players want to leave but that wasn’t the case and never has been.
“There is a great spirit in the club and I don’t know where any of the reports come from.”
Warnock himself was a victim earlier this season as he found himself denying reports he had handed in a transfer request at Ewood.
He said: “It was so far from the truth it was unreal. I just didn’t know where it had come from and it was a surprise to me, the chairman and the manager.
“People just try and sell newspapers and write what they can in them. I am sure the nationals need to sell so they will put anything they can in them.
“The lads will laugh it off and there is a great team spirit. That is what you need at the smaller clubs to see you through the league and we have already shown what has been written is rubbish.
“You need a good team spirit and when you are such a small squad everyone needs to get a long and to enjoy each other’s company. Luckily we do that here.”
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Morst the 88th min Heartbreaker, Accrington says...
12:58pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Ossy / Mike Rover to continue the debate - OK forget the Championship season. What about 2001 in Division 1? 27,000 vs. Shef Utd and near 30,000 sell out against Portsmouth with 99% of home fans. Compare that to 4,500 empty seats vs. Man U when they had 4 players costing £30m and the second best player in the world on the pitch.
The potential demand is there but without getting too much into Economics Rovers need to find the point where the supply and demand curves meet at say getting 22,000 - 25,000 home fans on Ewood and see at what price that is (with away fans that should see 26,000 - 29,000 average which would generate a great atmosphere.
As long as the result is like last seasons 25% reduction, i.e. we achieve the same or more level of revenue then are we not better to have Ewood near full and all the benefits that go with that?
Ossy - also you should remember you argued with me about this before but when they did try the 25% reduction last year it was a success so before you call me a kn*bhead (even though I take it in fun!)You should perhaps take the fact I was proved correct into account. I only suggest things that I believe will benefit Rovers and if it worked last time why not try it?
The alternative seems to be an half empty stadium vs. Boro. This is the sort of game (usually 2 or 3 a season only) for which all the lights are flashing - unattractive opposition, poor away support, Tea time kick off not popular, on live TV in pub etc etc. So why not respond positively to turn it round?
Yes Ossy if it was £5 adult and free for kids with adult I would buy a ticket and would be prepared to be persuaded to get the habit back if prices were better long term on a steady basis. Obviously they could not be £5 average this is just a one-off suggestion to get a positive atmosphere for this game. But the club could try to find the price at which they could get Ewood 90% full.
At the very least it is time for John Williams to admit the 10% increase was a really bad idea and immediately return match prices to last season. There cannot be many fans bought season tickets after April 30th so give them a club shop voucher or reduction next season if required. After the success of last season’s price reduction it is a shame Williams failed to take it forward this year and build on it.
30 YEARS AND COUNTING!
ossy rover, oswaldtwistle says...
6:13pm Sat 11 Oct 08
keep the faith
Merlin The Voice of Reason, Ramsbottom says...
6:40pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Morst the 88th min Heartbreaker, Accrington says...
8:06am Sun 12 Oct 08
ossy rover wrote:Ossy - is that all you can say?
morst do you know how much the players wages have increased since last the start of the 2007 2008 season?
keep the faith
Come on respond to my points rather than shape shifting!
The Accounts to Summer 2007 should be out in about January and yes it will be interesting to see the impact of the new TV deal on income and the 100% certainty that most will have gone on players wages!
Out Turnover should have jumped from around £40m -£45m up to about £55m to £60m if Sky have paid all the increased deal by the end of the season and we did have a good finish so should have had a good year. The Walker trust did not make the £3m donation though last season so that will effect things although they have re-instated it this year.
All we know is that in the last 3 years Rovers lost £3m or £1m a year on average.
Let me make it clear Ossy if you recall I have never advocated that we should get into debt - only that we should try to get the same revenue from increased gates with lower prices and spend a little of that new TV money to underwrite this. Last year it worked and we got the £1m put aside back.
30 YEARS AND COUNTING!
ossy rover, oswaldtwistle says...
12:18pm Sun 12 Oct 08
in all the years that ive being going down to ewood we have never had cosistantly full houses, and you can take the championship year and the following year into that.
even last year with the reduced prices we still ahd a lot of games were the gate was averaging 22k 23k.
people will come and watch football if they feel they are being entertained and they will pay a price for it. of course you have to look at an areas population look at the social standings and the income levels of that population.
as for sky money there are plenty of clubs that are up to their necks in debt even with much larger gates than us.
the other thing i saw when looking at the relative season ticket prices for other clubs was the price for young supporters which we seem to be the best.
with my season ticket i pay approx £19 per game and that is one of the higher priced Season tickets.
when you look around at championship club prices and even a local 2nd division teams admission price with the quality of players we have and the type of teams who come down ewood that seems like good business to me.
with the credit crunch, and the recession coming and im out of work next year then like you i may start complaining about prices because i wont be able to afford it.
keep the faith
mike rover, essex says...
4:56pm Sun 12 Oct 08
I went to the games in division 1, and I do not remember any 30,000 sell outs??? the ground was half empty, from what I remember. Do you have any evidence to back this up??
You still have not answered my questions,
1. What it is exactly that you expect williams to do in the long term, considering we are already the cheapest premiership side to watch, with adult prices starting at a low priced £17.
2. What makes you think 25% of the population would want to spend their saturday's off at ewood anyway, even if it was a freebie?
I've got a spare ticket for the game next week, and so far I have not even been able to give it away to anybody!
A few weeks ago you came on here boasting that you are an "accoutant". Surely you can afford a season ticket, with the money that accoutant's are on? can't you?
You would be a nightmare if you were a Chelsea or Arsenal fan, having to fork out over a grand for a season ticket each season.
I dunno, some people just aren't happy unless they are moaning about something, Funny that you are the only person moaning about our "over-priced" admission fees, don't you think?
rich, bournemouth, says...
5:51pm Sun 12 Oct 08
Morst the 88th min Heartbreaker, Accrington says...
6:10pm Sun 12 Oct 08
Ossy says home areas empty. Mike Rover says they are full. I will leave it to two to argue about that one!
Mike if you can read I stated the near 30,000 was against Portsmouth in Div1 for a night game. Also how many were locked out the night the Championship trophy was presented and there was not even a match on!
Both of you again avoid the issue of the 25% reduction last year was a success so why not continue it?
Ossy - if you are out of a job you may be happy with £5 to watch Boro - but then again!
Subject exhausted and a bit like the Irish problem I think - I give you an answer - you change the question.
I just hope your not training Rayzer to be a terrorist!
Ossy - I said Ewood back to near full (25,000+) - again you twist my words.
p.s. Mike Yes indeed but I choose value for money over ability to pay - perhaps you have to have followed Rovers for 45 years to appreciate that. Only person moaning - that is because the other 17,000 home fans from the Portsmouth match in Div 1 just thought sod it by the time the Fulham game (13,000)came around season before last. I am just stupid enough to still care it seems.
30 YEARS AND COUNTING!
mike rover, essex says...
6:22pm Sun 12 Oct 08
The club has done a lot of work, to make prices more affordable, but they still need to pay for staff,ground maitinence, etc, so to make a further 25% decrease would be unfeasable. Freezing prices was the best we could realistically expect, which the club has done.
The credit crunch has affected football clubs as well, just look at the west ham situation.
Yet still you refuse to answer my 2 questions as above.
ossy rover, oswaldtwistle says...
8:52am Mon 13 Oct 08
in respect to the Fulham game this season attendance was 19398, last season it was 20362. a drop of approx 1000.
the game last season was when we were riding high and looking for a qualifying spot for Eufa cup.
middlesborough home attendance last year (at a similar time of the season) 21687.
both these games were at the reduced or frozen ticket prices didnt exactly get the crowds flocking in did it.
keep the faith
Morst the 88th min Heartbreaker, Accrington says...
9:24am Mon 13 Oct 08
1) See my previous comments about supply and demand curves and finding the right price to fill Ewood with 22-25 thou home fans. My gut feel is it would be about £12 adult and £5 kids. Income would not be that much down because they were always doing tenner specials but they often failed because of what I said before - for many it is "habit" and you want the same price for the big games. "Habit" is the key word whether it be STH's or walk on fans. It's no good thinking well Chelsea charge £50 etc and it is the big league - the only relevant factor is at what price can you tempt more people from the same families to all go down to Ewood - we are unique in that sense. Uncle Jack gave us an asset with 30,000 seats and at present we don't utilise it.
2) See Portsmouth gate above. Not sure the best players in when world argument matters given the Man U gate? Fans want to be part of a near full and buzzing Ewood at an affordable price for our area.
Ossy - wasn't Fulham 13,000 a couple of seasons back and 18,000 vs Man City before the 25% reduction - proof of the pudding then that it worked if it was back up to 20,362 that is 50% up from 2 years ago! It just needed at bit more tweaking to get a few more thousand back into Ewood. I think this seasons gates will be back down after the 10% price increase.
As I said before guys this needed building over several years from 2001 and with the credit crunch who knows how it will now pan out. It is now impossible to prove whether it would have worked had it beem implemented 5 years ago but all we know is it worked last season and now the club have reversed the trend with a price increase and the result will be gates down. An analysis of STH sales before April 30th and after and walk on fans compared to last season would be interesting.
Anyway lets move on and I’ve got to go do some work now sadly.
Good debate though.
30 YEARS AND COUNTING!
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kevin e, portugal says...
10:29am Sat 11 Oct 08
Long may that spirit last - there are going to be ups and downs but, for what it is worth, I, for one, am impressed with the start Incey has made. We have genuine competition for places all over the pitch and the speed with which Incey has brought this about is highly impressive.
Good luck to all the lads and COME ON ROVERS!