Last Update:
October 25, 2024
Ewood Park is rather impressive, having had three new large stands built during the 1990s. These stands are at both ends and one side of the ground. They are of the same height and roughly similar design, being two-tiered, having a row of executive boxes and similar roofs. The ends are particularly good-looking, both having large lower tiers. The only downside is the open corners, although there is a huge screen at one corner by the away end, which shows an excellent pre-match programme and amongst other things, the teams emerging from the dressing rooms and onto the pitch. An electric scoreboard is also at the Bryan Douglas Darwen End of the ground.
The RFS Riverside Stand is the only undeveloped stand, running down one side of the pitch. This is a smaller single-tiered stand and is not as pleasing to the eye as its more modern counterparts. It looks older than what it is having been opened in 1988. It contains many supporting pillars and is partly covered (to the rear). Just to highlight how much the ground has changed, this was at one time the ‘best’ stand at Ewood Park. One other interesting feature of the ground is the fact that the pitch is raised. This means that players have to run up a small incline, whilst taking throw-ins and corners. Outside the stadium behind the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End, there is a statue of former club owner Jack Walker.
The capacity of Ewood Park is 31,367. There are four stands named: The Jack Walker Stand, The Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End, The RFS Riverside Stand and The Bryan Douglas Darwen End.
Away fans are located in the Bryan Douglas Darwen End along with home supporters, with the allocation for travelling supporters typically just under 4,000. The whole stand can be made available for away supporters, especially for cup matches, with an overall capacity of 8,000.
At the opposite end of Ewood Park is the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn, which also has a capacity of 8,000. It is named after Ronnie Clayton, who had a 19-year spell at the club in the 1950s and 1960s.
The biggest stand is the Jack Walker Stand – holding a capacity of 11,000 seats. Home and away dressing rooms are located on this side of the ground, along with hospitality spaces and media facilities.
Finally, the RFS Riverside Stand is the smallest at Ewood Park, as it can hold 6,000 fans. There have been discussions around redeveloping this stand in previous years, but with the club still in the Championship, and the unpopular owners, the Venky’s Group, still in charge, it looks unlikely in the short-term future.
Away fans are housed in the Bryan Douglas Darwen End, where the facilities provided are good. However, the spacing between the rows of seats leaves a lot to be desired, being quite tight. The Darwen End is shared with home supporters, but if demand requires it the whole of the stand can be made available. Normally the away allocation is for three-quarters of the stand, at just under 4,000 tickets, which are split between the whole of the upper tier and part of the lower tier (with the lower tier being allocated first). If you have not bought a ticket in advance, then you need to buy one from the away supporters ticket office at the ground as you can’t pay on the turnstiles. The ticket office is located on the corner of the Darwen End & the Jack Walker Stand.
On the concourse, the food available includes; a range of Holland’s Pies (Chicken Balti, Peppered Steak, Potato and Meat, Cheese and Onion all £3), Sausage Rolls (£2.50), Cheeseburgers (£3.80), Burgers (£3.30), Hot Dogs (£3.50) and Chips (£2). The refreshment areas are opened 90 minutes before kick-off and closed 15 minutes into the second half. If you are looking to eat something before entering the ground, Leaver’s Bakers Shop on Bolton Road sells excellent hot pies. Across Bolton Road by the home end is a McDonalds, which I noticed had a walk-through service for fans! I found the Blackburn fans both friendly and helpful, coupled with the relaxed stewarding, which has made it so far for me, five pleasant visits to Ewood Park.
- The Fernhurst – 466 Bolton Road, BB2 4JP
- The Fox & Hounds – Ewood, Blackburn BB2 4LL
- The Observatory – Old Bank Ln, Blackburn BB2 3HG
Biryani and a beer at Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers)
💷 £8.50 for both pic.twitter.com/6m0YUGSqN2
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) February 18, 2022
Pie, mash, peas and gravy at Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers)
💷 £7.50 pic.twitter.com/RIx7nGmelB
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) August 8, 2023
16 hour slow smoked brisket peppercorn burger at Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers @Pitmasteruk)
💷 £13.50 pic.twitter.com/C6O1YBi9g2
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) September 17, 2023
There are turnstiles across all four stands at Ewood Park. The away entrances can be found in the Bryan Douglas End while home fans will enter the stadium through the other three stands.
The accessible entrances at Ewood Park can be found at each corner of the stadium.
From The North
Use Motorway M6 to Junction 30, to the M61 – leave Junction 9 then onto the M65 towards Blackburn – leave the M65 at Junction 4 (A666) and follow signs towards Blackburn/Darwen. Ewood Park is about one mile down the road on the right-hand side.
From The South
Use Motorway M6 to junction 29, then onto the M65 towards Blackburn – leave the M65 at Junction 4 (A666) and follow signs towards Blackburn. Turn right at the first set of traffic lights and Ewood Park is about 1 mile down the road on the right-hand side.
From The East
Use Motorway M62 onto M66/A56, then onto the M65, and head towards Blackburn – leave the M65 at Junction 4 (A666) and follow signs towards Blackburn. Turn right at the first set of traffic lights and Ewood Park is about 1 mile down the road on the right-hand side.
Car Parking
Various private car parks are available in the area around Ewood Park (especially along Branch Road), costing in the region of £5. The nearby Hungry Horse pub also offers matchday parking at the same price. If you want to get away reasonably quickly after the game (the roads immediately around Ewood Park are closed off for crowd safety for around 30 minutes after the game) then as you come down the hill on the A666, you will pass an Esso Petrol Garage on your left. Turn right at the next traffic lights into Branch Road and down on your left there are some industrial units offering matchday parking. After the game turn left out of the car parks so that you are going away from Ewood, turn right at the second mini roundabout and this will take you back up to the M65.
The closest railway station is Mill Hill which is around a 15-minute walk away from Ewood Park. It is served by trains from Blackburn and the journey only takes a few minutes. Blackburn station itself is at least a couple of miles from the ground and hence a good 25-30 minute walk away. Blackburn station is served by trains from Manchester & Leeds.
The following hotels are all nearby to Ewood Park:
Like several clubs, Blackburn operates a match category policy (A+, A & B) whereby the ticket prices cost more for the most popular games.
Adult: £20-£35
Senior: £16-£29
18-23: £12-£23
12-17: £7-£18
0-11: £5-£13
Blackburn’s first games were played on a farmland at Oozehead from 1875, this field belonged to a local farmer. Oozehead ground was also used for cattle grazing so was very much a working farm even between games. Rovers moved to Pleasington Cricket Ground in 1877 because Oozehead was not exactly ideal for playing football. The stay at Pleasington lasted not even a year; a Preston North End player died of a heart attack during a match and the club opted to move again. Blackburn adopted a couple of places as their home before they finally settled at Ewood Park in 1890.
Now, Ewood Park has been the Rovers’ home for 131 years up to the present time. Minor changes and modernisations were made over the years as you’d expect but 1984 brought about large-scale changes with a fire in the Nutall Street stand that forced their hand somewhat. The biggest changes undoubtedly came to Ewood Park in the nineties though with the Blackburn ground seeing a complete reconstruction when new owners arrived.
Most notable was the switch to a fully seated stadium with the seating reduced from over 70,000 to just over 31,000. The new-look Blackburn stadium officially reopened in 1995 after a couple of years of construction.
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website.
Blackburn fans singing West Ham club anthem “forever blowing bubbles” away at Millwall today…
The shithousery… 😭 pic.twitter.com/wmG4XtgLcX
— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) May 8, 2023
Record Attendance
62,522 v Bolton Wanderers
FA Cup 6th Round, 2nd March 1929.
Modern All-Seated Attendance Record:
30,895 v Liverpool
Premier League, 24th February 1996.
Average Attendance
2023-2024: 14,758 (Championship)
2022-2023: 17,783 (Championship)
2021-2022: 13,032 (Championship)
2020-2021: 0 (Covid) (Championship)
2019-2020: 13,873 (Championship)
Nothing major is currently going on at Ewood Park. The latest bit of renovation work came to the Indoor Centre which received £400,000 worth of investment during the 2023/24 season.
The refurbishment saw the installation of new 4G football pitches, energy-saving lighting, classrooms and a reception area.
Ground Layout
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Blackburn Rovers v Preston North End
Championship
Saturday 9th March 2019, 12 noon
Kate Crane (Preston North End)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
My son talked me into going, as it was his 14th birthday and he’d not really been to an away game before. I’d been before as a neutral and been to events there so know the area.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The traffic was queued up coming off the M65 westbound, so we went around the back way to Branch Road. I recommend this if you’re planning to park down there and it’s busy. A hail storm and very squally shower as we came off the motorway did not help. I went into the first car park I saw by Riverside Industrial Estate. I’m glad I did as there were limited spaces in there and there were only two car parks closer to Ewood. The nearest one was for permit holders only so all home fans. It was a very soggy walk to start but it soon brightened up for the rest of the walk. Mind the puddles, they’re huge!
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We just went into the ground as it was a 12pm kick off and a local derby. We got into the ground early, but it was busy as the away end was sold out.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
The ground is okay, although it looks a lop-sided, as one stand is clearly older and smaller than the rest. Underneath the away stand it is very gloomy and quite congested when the end is full so we grabbed two drinks and went to our seats.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
All of the atmosphere was created by 7500 away fans, the home fans made little noise. We enjoyed the game and scored early. Rovers weren’t at the best shooting wise but the last 20 minutes were very nervy. It felt like a good atmosphere but I’m sure the home fans felt like they weren’t at the same party. We chose not to eat at the ground. Stewards were fine, and there was a lot of police, some of whom said hello as we passed. Nearly all the away fans stood throughout the game.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Parking on Branch Road made this as easy as it could be. The sun came out for the second half so it was a more pleasant walk. There was a bit of a queue to get out but once we got moving, we got to the M65 quite quickly.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
It was a great way for my son to experience his first away game, but that was largely down to the result. The Blackburn fans don’t create an atmosphere it that could be down to the situation with the club. We had a great time, and that was thanks to the Preston fans.
Blackburn Rovers v Queens Park Rangers
Championship League
Saturday 3rd November 2018, 3pm
James Walker (Queens Park Rangers)
My Ground Number: 129 (89/92)
Blackburn Rovers v Millwall
Championship League
Saturday 11th August 2018, 3pm
Brian Moore (Millwall)
Blackburn Rovers v Oxford United
League One
Saturday 5th May 2018, 5.30pm
Rob Pickett (Oxford United fan)
Blackburn Rovers v Shrewsbury Town
League One
Saturday 13th January 2018, 3pm
Clive Richards (Shrewsbury Town fan)
Blackburn Rovers v Fleetwood Town
Football League One
Tuesday 31st October 2017, 7.45pm
Christopher Smith (Fleetwood Town)
Blackburn Rovers v Doncaster Rovers
Football League Two
Saturday 12th August 2017, 3pm
Dave Hays (Doncaster Rovers fan)
Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley
Football Championship League
Saturday 8th April 2017, 3pm
Tom Bellamy (Barnsley fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
This would only be the second time I have been to Ewood Park. The first time I went was back in 1985 when both teams were in the old Division 2. Barnsley won the game 3-0. I was hoping for something similar today especially with Blackburn Rovers being in the relegation zone and Barnsley in the more comfortable position of 13th place. However, Barnsley were without a win, both home or away in their last nine games.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I made my journey to Ewood Park by car which took me over the Pennines via the M1/M62 and M66. I set off at 11.30am and arrived in Blackburn at 1.30pm having stopped at the motorway services for refreshments. I decided to head for a car park in the Industrial Estate on Branch Road which was then only a 15 minute walk to the ground. There are two or three car parks next to each other at a cost of £3 or £4 pounds for the afternoon. I chose a £3 one next to the Uncle Jacks pub.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I decided to walk towards the ground and I called at the Fernhurst Pub where I noticed some Barnsley fans mixing with the Home fans outside the pub. It was a beautiful warm and sunny afternoon so I decided to join them and join in the football banter. Everybody seemed friendly enough and as there were ' bouncers ' on the door there were no problems at all.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
I made my way to the Away end of the ground which was the Bryan Douglas Darwen End and after the usual frisking down by the Stewards I had a quick coffee inside the ground which tasted very good. I was fortunate enough to have an aisle seat as the rows are very close together which doesn't give you much leg room. I was actually very impressed with the ground itself, although it was nothing like I remembered from the old days apart from the Riverside Stand on one side. The pitch was in good condition and it was a good enough view from the lower tier where both sets of fans were.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Barnsley imposed themselves right from the kick off by scoring two quick goals inside the first ten minutes. The first one, which was after just three minutes, came from a header by the Barnsley Captain and centre half; Marc Roberts. Blackburn appeared to be stunned by this and couldn't settle down which then lead to Barnsleys​' second goal on ten minutes which was an absolute screamer from Marley Watkins as he latched onto to a pass and hit the ball from 25 yards out that went in-off the crossbar. It was one of those goals similar to the well known Geoff Hurst goal for England in the 1966 World Cup Final against West Germany. The linesman flagged for the goal immediately and there was no argument from the Blackburn players. So, at 2-0 up although Barnsley were in a good position Blackburn began to play some good football and came close to scoring on a few occasions, but they let themselves down with the final ball. It was end to end stuff all through the first half but Blackburn couldn't break down the Barnsley defence, and so the players went in at half time with the score 2-0 to Barnsley.
The second half began with Blackburn trying to attack and get back in the game but yet again the Barnsley defence was solid. However, Blackburn came very close to pulling one back when a shot was cleared off the line by a Barnsley defender. After that it was a case of Barnsley hanging on and defending well until the final whistle much to the delight of the 1200 or so Reds fans.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away from the ground was very easy. Straight back to the car and off towards the Motorways back home, with no problems at all.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
It was a very pleasing day out with the Reds at Ewood Park, coming away with a well deserved victory, and one which was very much overdue. The Championship Table doesn't look good for Blackburn still in the relegation zone, but for Barnsley they are now guaranteed playing in the Championship League again next season. I do hope Blackburn can avoid relegation purely because it would be another good away fixture and easy to get to.
Blackburn Rovers v Queens Park Rangers
Football Championship League
Saturday 4th February 2017, 3pm
David Stockwell (Queens Park Rangers fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
I have never been to Ewood Park before and this is a former Premier League winning side and its one of the larger grounds in the Championship. Although these days the club is less supported!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Strangely as we drove through the centre of Blackburn and we saw little or no signs showing us where Ewood Park was. However subsequently other fans told us it is well signposted on the motorways around Blackburn. We found a free car park just off the A666 (Bolton Road) called River Darwen Parkway. It is signposted off the A666 by Ewood Bikes Shop. From there it was only a ten minute walk to Ewood Park.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We went to the well documented Fernhurst pub, across and just down the road from Ewood Park. Away fans were welcomed in and it was fine.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
I thought Ewood Park was impressive. The Away end was well sized, had a good view of the pitch, plus well segregated and controlled.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game had a 0-0 draw written all over it, until Blackburn pinched a 91st minute winner, with a dubious goal. The Rovers fans taunted us at the end but such as life. The atmosphere at times was dull, an annoying drum played in their end with no one singing which annoyed many fans. At times our boys made noise. Had a cheese and onion pie, good enough but nothing special. Quite well priced.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away from the ground. Easy, no problems with traffic or fans. They were happy with the result and we didn't play badly, unlucky with the goal decision but that is the way it goes sometimes.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall I had a good day out at Blackburn. Ewood Park is a decent sized ground and to be honest £22 entrance for an away fan, is very well priced!
Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City
Football Championship League
Saturday 21st January 2017, 3pm
Rich Swainson (Birmingham City fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
I was hoping to see Blues get their first win under new manager Gianfranco Zola. I was also hoping to see one or two player debuts for Birmingham. Finally, I'd heard a few things about Ewood Park, so I wanted to experience it for myself.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I live in Nottingham (in exile!) so it was a pretty long drive (120 miles each way) but really straightforward. Arrived fairly early and managed to park on Bolton Road – up the hill. It's the main road which goes right past the stadium. From where I parked was a 10 minute stroll to Ewood Park.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
It was a really cold day, so after a brief scout around outside, I headed into the ground, so didn't visit any pubs or chippy's beforehand. I didn't meet a single Blackburn fan before or after the game, which was a little unusual. So I can only assume they are as friendly as the staff at Ewood Park.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
From the outside, Ewood Park is reasonably impressive, with a nice photo montage of the club's history which can be seen above the away ticket collection booths. Inside, the stadium actually felt a little sad. The home fans were pretty sparse and I heard little noise from them (apart from an occasional drum being banged) until they scored, in first half injury time. The weather was cold and grey as well so the atmosphere in the rest of the ground felt quite dismal, unfortunately.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game itself was a pretty dour affair aside from the first and last 20 minutes. Birmingham, without a win in seven under our new manager and Blackburn, skirting with relegation were often mired in a midfield scramble. That said, the Blues fans were loud and full of songs for much of the game. However, things became so turgid that for periods, the whole stadium was almost silent. The stewards were cheery and engaged really well with the away fans, as did the local Police who seemed good natured and even chatty. The away end facilities are really good – two decent-sized bars/food outlets with a good selection of drinks, pies etc available. I didn't eat but had a huge hot chocolate. Unlike many other grounds – it wasn't watered down (!) and so was really delicious. There were also a couple of televisions which were showing an early kick-off match. This kept the Blues fans entertained and out of the bitter cold, before the match.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away from the ground was unusual on two counts. Firstly, I didn't encounter any Blackburn fans (as far as I could tell). Many of the Blues fans left the away end and headed up Bolton Road to their cars. I don't remember seeing any home fans at all. There must have been some of course! Secondly, getting away from the ground – heading out towards the M65 was really easy and almost entirely traffic-jam-free. The Police had a great system in place for allowing football traffic to get away, so a big credit to them.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall, an interesting day. The result – a 1-1 draw kind of felt appropriate. I would like to visit again, on a warm day, with a big crowd, to see the Blackburn fans, and Ewood Park more lively. And hopefully a much better game!
Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United
Football Championship league
Monday 2nd January 2017, 3pm
Shaun Grey (Newcastle United fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
It was my first Newcastle away game, and I see Blackburn Rovers as one of what I call "the old Premier League clubs". Basically clubs who were in the Premier League when I first started really getting into football.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Overall the journey was okay. We hit one or two standstill points on the motorway but nothing too bad. We initially put the wrong postcode into the sat nav so ended up in the Darwen area of Blackburn before finding our way to Ewood Park. I noticed a lot of speed cameras and camera monitored bus lanes meaning you need to be extra carefully in Blackburn and Darwen unless you want a fine arriving in your post! Parking was good. I i had checked on this website prior to traveling and took the advise of other fans to park at one of the small businesses on Branch road for £5, which I would defiantly recommend, as it is in walking distance to the ground and easy to get back to.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
After the delay of going to the wrong place at first we did not have as much time as we would have liked to look around and go to a pub. So we just got a burger from a van outside of the ground before a quick look around the fan zone that had been set up to occupy our 7000 fans! We went into the ground around 2pm in order to watch the warm ups etc..
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
As this was my first away game I was not sure what to expect. I was happy to see a good old fashioned English ground, surrounded by houses instead of out in the middle of no where as most modern grounds are nowadays.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
There was not a great home crowd in attendance so there was not much of a atmosphere from the home end. In fact large parts of the ground were empty. We took around 7000 fans, the atmosphere in the away end was fantastic even though we lost 1-0. We played pretty well, it was just the fact we did not take our chances and another woefully Championship referee that spoiled the day. Facilities were of a decent enough standard, service for refreshments was as you would expect. We had a hot drink as it was freezing cold day. £2.50 for a cuppa is expensive but St James' Park is the same so no complaints there. We were searched before entering the ground and made to throw away lids to bottles of pop but aloud to take the actual drink in which I found strange, but this may be common place at other grounds too.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Branch road where we parked is around 10 minutes walk (uphill) from Ewood Park. There was a heavy Police presence as most roads around the ground were closed at full time. After leaving the car park we opted to turn left, instead of right to try and avoid traffic but we still managed to get stuck as the Police had blocked the road so that the away fan coaches could be escorted away from the ground. It took around 30 minutes to get back onto the motorway, but from there it was plain sailing.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
I really enjoyed the overall experience, despite the result. I would defiantly go back to Ewood Park!
Blackburn Rovers v Nottingham Forest
Football Championship League
Tuesday 18th October 2016, 7.45pm
Rob Churchill (Nottingham Forest fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
I had not been to Ewood Park before and I always like away games. Plus it is only a 1 hour 20 minute from my home.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Easy journey; from my place in Stoke-on-Trent, straight up the M6 and onto the M65. Then leaving the M65 at Junction 4 and following the brown tourist signs for Ewood Park , DO NOT put the clubs post code into your sat nav (BB2 4FJ ), as that takes you onto Jack Walker Way and onto a housing estate, just follow the brown signs when you leave the motorway . If you get there early enough parking is really good. I got onto the main road right opposite the stadium .Although I was told by others there that there were some industrial units nearby that offer parking for a small charge.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Before the game I had the compulsory matchday burger from a van by the ground, only average I'm afraid, but I was resupplied by the chippy down the road. I don't know the name of it; big red sign on the front, good food, good portions, £2.60 for chips and peas, well worth it. There were a few Blackburn lads in there, seemed like a good bunch. We had a chat about the game and each others sides, no trouble, quite friendly.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
I thought that Ewood Park was a decent ground. It is quite modern looking with a decent club shop etc…It is a similar sized stadium to the City Ground (but obviously not as good , ha). I like the more traditional grounds and although this is a new looking ground it ain't like one of the new flat pack type of stadiums.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was a bad one from a Forest point of view and Blackburn deserved their win. The atmosphere was mostly flat. The home fans were a disappointment. Not much singing or banter from them. The Forest fans played our part but at times you could hear a pin drop inside Ewood Park, apart from one Blackburn youth with a drum. He was louder than the rest of the stadium put together. The Forest fans chanted "Your drum's too loud for you!" Still I can't blame him for trying though. Stewards were okay; mostly friendly apart from their supervisor. A right jobsworth for the sake of it type. Oh the power!
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away from the ground was very easy. The transport was the easiest part of the day.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Good trip despite the result. I would go to Park again. It was a poor turn out though by the home fans. The attendance was only 10.462 in a stadium that holds over 31,000, but overall an enjoyable experience.
Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town
Football Championship League
Saturday 15th October 2016, 3pm
Josh Houston (Ipswich Town fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
Blackburn Rovers is a very historic club so I was really excited to visit their Ewood Park ground. We never normally take any points away from there but this season I was hopeful.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We traveled by car and on leaving the M65, we just followed the signs towards Ewood Park, easy enough. We parked only two minutes away from the stadium for a good price of £3.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We arrived two hours before kick off so firstly we went for some food. We couldn't see that many places so we settled for the nearby McDonalds. We then had a look around the fanzone at the ground itself, which was showing the live Chelsea v Leicester City game, which kept us entertained.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
Three of the four stands at Ewood Park are very modern, so I was surprised how nice it was. But the remaining Riverside Stand on one side is a lot smaller and quite old looking, it really needs some attention. My first impression of the away end was 'this is quality' as it was very nice and tidy from the outside.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Inside Ewood Park it was brilliant. The facilities were some of the best I've seen in the Championship League. The atmosphere was poor from the home supporters and the Ipswich fans tried our best to get some singing going. The game itself was another poor performance, but we created all the chances and limited Blackburn. We could just not find the back of the net. The game ended 0-0.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Leaving Blackburn was no problem. There was much traffic due to the low attendance of just under 11,000.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall I was pretty disappointed with the result as we should have won. But Ewood Park itself was good and was worth the money I paid.
Blackburn Rovers v Rotherham United
Football Championship League
Saturday 17th September 2016, 3pm
Charles Robinson (Rotherham United fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
Ewood Park was a ground that we had wanted to visit last season, but the fixture was moved to a Friday evening meaning that we couldn't attend. So when this Saturday fixture came up we decided to go. Blackburn has a history in the Premiership and so we wanted to go along and have a look at the ground.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We went by train via Leeds changing at Accrington for Mill Hill Station. An off peak day return for me and my grandson was £15. From Mill Hill Ewood Park was not too difficult to find as we simply followed the home fans. The ground is a 15-20 minute walk from Mill Hill Railway Station.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We went to Wetherspoons in Accrington, where we were changing trains. It was a good pub with cheap beer and a decent breakfast for around £3.50. Accrington Stanley were playing Pourtsmouth, but it still was not too busy.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
Ewood Park is a ground which was built in a working class area, a bit like Barnsley. The away end was great as we could sit where we wanted. The ground on three sides was modern with an old stand running along the river side of the stadium, but this did give Ewood Park some character.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Our defending is shocking and we suffered a 4-2 defeat. There was someone banging a drum in the same end as us, but in the home section as we shared the stand with the home fans. The atmosphere built up once they went 3-1 up.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Same as getting to the ground. We called in at a nearby Aldi for provisions for the train. Local youths were hanging around Mill Hill station waiting to egg away fans – they were irritating and cheeky but didn't actually realise we were from Rotherham.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A good away day – with a nice journey looking over the hills, with some great scenery in parts. We shared the train journey there with some Portsmouth and Rotherham fans, plus a hen party going to Blackpool, so it made for a lively journey. Coming back we were a bit subdued following the poor result. We have seen our side let in 14 goals in our last four away games!
Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City
Championship League
Saturday 6th August 2016, 3pm
Karl (Norwich City fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
Rather embarrassingly, at 26 years old, this was going to be my first Norwich away game. Decided, on a whim, by myself and a couple of mates, we were going to make our way to the game and then stop over in Lincoln for a night out on the way back to Norfolk – why not make a weekend of it? Knowing Norwich hadn't won on the opening day for 14 years (and Blackburn not having won their first game of the season for something like 5 years), we were seriously hoping the day wouldn't be ruined by a bore draw!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Although the journey was around four hours, once you're off Norfolk and Lincolnshire's single carriageway roads (and out of the way of the seemingly never-ending number of tractors) the trip actually went very quickly. Following the sat nav, Ewood Park can't be missed – an added bonus being that it isn't slap bang in the middle of the city! Initially we drove right down to Ewood Park, but decided to turn around and park in the Golden Cup Pub's car park – for a fairly reasonable £5. I should mention that there was ample parking for away fans (and coaches) at the ground itself.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Having used their car park, we thought we might as well have a swift one at the Golden Cup. As the sun was beaming down, and the temperature was hitting around 26 degrees, we decided to make use of the outside seating area. Three pints of Fosters set us back 10 quid – no qualms. We then decided to take a ten minute walk down to the Fernhurst pub, having seen that it was a Hungry Horse, for a bit of lunch. Food was as you would expect from a national chain – very reasonably priced but not Michelin star material. Although billing itself as an away fans pubs, there were a few home fans present. No trouble whatsoever. That said, I should mention that the bar staff don't take very kindly to singing. A fistful of Norwich fans (around 30/40) were asked to leave the pub purely and simply for singing. I can only assume that, as Hungry Horse is a national chain, they have to bill themselves as a family pub and also protect their reputation somewhat – but then, if that is the case, surely you wouldn't bill yourselves as an away fans pub!
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
Ewood Park is a perfectly nice ground. three modern, two tier, stands and one that looks a bit old and tattered. Security were perfectly friendly when searching us on the way in. As I read elsewhere, there really is very little spacing between seating rows. This inevitably resulted in people falling into the rows in front when that first goal went in (I think people swiftly learnt their lesson for the remainder of the game!)
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was brilliant. Atmosphere from the Norwich fans was immense – but then we did take an early two goal lead and ended up winning 4-1 (yes – our first opening day win in 14 years!). Home support was poor to be honest. 12,500 attendance, of which 1500 were away fans. None of the upper tiers were open and there were floods of empty seats.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
At the final whistle we exited the ground, and walked 15 minutes, uphill, back to the Golden Cup. Within half an hour of the final whistle we were back on the road, Lincoln bound. I can't stress enough he convenience of the parking at the Golden Cup, you're literally one minute away from getting back onto the motorway.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall, a brilliant day out, made all the sweeter by getting those early three points!
Blackburn Rovers v Preston North End
Football Championship League
Saturday 2nd April 2016, 12.30pm
Mike Bloor (Preston North End fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
I was looking forward to the game because it was a local derby with a rival team that we hadn't played in a league game for 15 years. Also, it was nice to visit another ground and with almost 7,000 Preston fans going, this was an occasion not to be missed.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We took the train from Preston at around 10:30am to Blackburn Central, which was only a 20 minute journey.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
After departing the train station, we just followed the crowd of Preston fans which led us to a rather large pub. After a few early morning pints at the pub, fans starting heading towards Ewood Park. We just followed all the police cars and then eventually after one and a half miles of walking we found Ewood.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
Well it was better than Turf Moor, that's for sure! To be fair, three of the stands are rather impressive structures. The stand opposite the dugout however was a bit old and may in the future need replacing but overall a decent ground. We were on row eight of the lower tier of the Darwen End, so we were very close to the pitch.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The first half was rather entertaining. After going a goal down and the Blackburn players and fans rubbing it in our faces, karma struck them when Duffy was sent off for the home side after deliberate hand ball on the goal line. Garner drilled in the subsequent penalty to equalise. Hugill then scored a great volley to put us 2-1 up sparking wild celebrations in the Darwen End. The second half was frustrating as North End should have scored 4 or 5 goals but poor finishing nearly cost them but alas held on for the 2-1 win.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Thankfully, I remembered most of the journey on the way to the ground so it took us around 25 mins to get back to Blackburn Central Railway Station.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Overall, it was a great day out however thankfully I don't do earlier morning pints of beer often but for this occasion, I'll let that slide. Most definitely going again next season.
Blackburn Rovers v Preston North End
Football Championship League
Friday 2nd April 2016, 3pm
Paul Willott (Preston North End fan)
Way back in the mists of time, a young Preston North End supporter was savouring promotion from the third tier along with several thousand delirious colleagues on the away terrace at Cambridge United’s quaint old ground. The sound of “Bring on the Rovers ; Bring on the Rovers…” sprang from the happy throng as a young David Moyes celebrated with the players, and the reality dawned on us that it was no longer a pipe dream. Next season, we would actually meet the Rovers. As equals. A date not to be missed. Especially after those years of having to endure basement division football whilst they lorded it in the lofty reaches of the Premier League. The years of us having to see Rovers stars such as Shearer, Sherwood, and Ripley modelling the latest M&S menswear range on billboards on OUR main shopping street. The days of the Rovers using OUR ground for their reserve matches. The days of the Rovers offering to take us “under their wing” as a feeder club.
As fate would have it, I was come the turn of the new year in the following season almost chest deep in cardboard boxes as I prepared to move out of my little flat in south London to become a home-owner down in Kent. I reasoned that I could not really justify taking the time out of “operation house-move” to take in the match. It had been a good season so far, adjusting well to life in the higher division, and I’d been lucky enough to see a fair few matches home and away. Furthermore, with both teams comfortably in mid-table as the clash at Ewood approached and in no danger of relegation or troubling the promotion race , I reasoned quite logically that there was always going to be “next season……..” Except there wasn’t. Both the Rovers and North End went on excellent runs as the green shoots of spring first appeared………..and Rovers ended up nicking the second automatic promotion spot ( painfully with a 1-0 win at Deepdale ) whilst David Moyes steered the North End to a 4th place spot and a play-off berth. History will relate how Deepdale roared as Birmingham City were edged out in the play-off semi-finals and a day of destiny beckoned in a play-off final against Bolton Wanderers. The trip to Cardiff may not have been “Operation Market Garden”, but for the up and coming squad under David Moyes it sadly did prove to be “a game too far”…… Little did I know then that I’d have to wait another 16 years for a chance to visit Ewood to watch my beloved North End. Hence once the euphoria ( and the hangover ) wore off following our play-off final victory in 2014 ( our first in 10 attempts ) against a hapless Swindon Town, I served notice to the Missus that the fixture at Ewood WOULD be one of those to be attended by myself irrespective of weddings, funerals, court appearances, graduation ceremonies and the like. I conceded that only the end of the world alone would be a good enough reason not to go and I seem to recollect that the away fixture at Bolton was put into the same category.
Riverside Stand
Once the fixture list was produced for the 2015-2016 season, there were 3 “away” fixtures that I ring-fenced with mouth-watering anticipation. Burnley, Bolton Wanderers, and Blackburn Rovers. Once we’d taken a magnificent three points away from Turf Moor against the promotion chasing clarets in early December, local bragging rights were further enhanced with a much savoured win away to the relegation threatened Bolton Wanderers. Hence I have to admit, the imminent build up to the clash at Ewood did fill me with the proverbial pangs of doubt. Could we really contemplate to achieve an unlikely “treble” of away wins at our local rivals? It seemed almost too much to hope for, all the laws of probability betted against it, and part of me almost felt self-reproachful for being greedy. As the days ticked down before the fixture, I seemed to spend more of each waking hour debating with myself whether it was unreasonable to hope for a clean sweep of away wins in the “big 3” away from home during the season, or whether given the Rovers very indifferent season compared to our promising one should actually encourage thoughts towards contemplating three points. It’s hard to determine throughout my football supporting life which match would be the one I’d anticipated the most; after all, there have been down the years some great cup ties, and of course, big play-off fixtures…….but those are matches that you don’t have the best part of 8 months to think about in the build up…….on top of a 16 year wait to scratch the itch…
In normal circumstances, getting up to Blackburn itself would have been a mission ; but the challenge was further enhanced with the fact that my partner was having a pre-booked holiday with her children on the south coast in the week prior to the big match which I’d already been excused from, but as the eldest lad had expressed an extreme desire to come along to the match I undertook to drive down to Chichester from Kent on the Thursday to spend an afternoon and evening with everyone before heading up north on the Friday. Driving up on the day was out of the question as it had been made an early kick-off ; unless one fancied setting off at daft o’clock in the morning , and quite frankly, I didn’t.
The first major hurdle presented itself on the Thursday upon arrival in the Chichester area, when the car decided to declare itself unwell and in need of the physio’s attention. After the attention of a local mechanic and shelling out for a new battery, we could look forward to the next stage of the mission….. A fairly straightforward trek up the A27, A3, A34, M40 before rolling onto the M6 ensued before heading into the town centre of Blackburn and our B&B whereupon the car decided once again that she’d done enough for the day and expired…..fortunately our eldest was more than happy to oblige and help push the motor into the car park. I opted to worry about the poorly motor car the following day as it was fairly late, and it seemed logical to get some sleep.
After a hearty and leisurely breakfast we started to wander down towards Ewood Park on foot. This was an interesting dichotomy; I could tell our eldest was simply buzzing with anticipation of what was hoped would be a keenly fought derby match, yet for me it felt a trifle odd. For starters, having been a frequent visitor to Blackburn in my formative years to visit relatives (a whole branch of the family resided here), it seemed weird to be in familiar surroundings yet for an unfamiliar event. I guess also there may have been an element of anti-climax as it seemed all so relaxed and tame after eight months of waiting…..
Once in sight of Ewood Park however, all of that changed; I stopped focusing on weirdness and instead found I was bubbling now with excitement. Down the years, I’d seen the ground on countless occasions; a classic northern footy ground amongst terraced houses with the classic floodlight pylons. I’d seen it change too, as Jack Walker’s vision for his boyhood club of a top flight ground fit for top flight football started to take shape. And now here we were; the Preston North End arriving for a derby fixture at another famous old ground. The aroma of burgers cooking from various vans wafted across the air as a helicopter in police colours hovered overhead; a reminder as if it were needed that a key derby fixture was about to take place. As we had club colours very much under wraps, we happily went for a little wander around the immediate vicinity of the stadium.
From the outside, Ewood Park looks like a good quality football stadium which is befitting given Blackburn’s place as one of the oldest clubs in the business and one of the 12 founding members of the football league. Similarly to our own home at Deepdale, a historical old ground has survived the post Taylor Report era with flying colours and still resembles a proper football ground. There are three fairly similar looking modern stands comprising the new main stand flanked by the Blackburn End behind one goal, and the Darwen End behind the other, whilst the slightly smaller Riverside Stand seems slightly out of place but pleasingly still gives the ground some character. The icing on the cake is that standing sentry either side of the Riverside are two proper floodlight pylons that help preserve that most essential flavour of a football ground. Perhaps most poignant is the statue to Jack Walker. We looked at it for some time whilst I informed my younger companion of the significance of the contribution made by the local lad made successful industrialist towards his boyhood club.
Jack Walker Statue
Nearby, a big screen was showing extended highlights of the clash between the 2 sides earlier on during the season at Deepdale, where the men from Ewood ran out 2-1 winners. In the intervening few months, one of the scorers for Rovers that afternoon Jordan Rhodes had been sold to Middlesbrough seemingly without replacement, and any hope they may have sustained to reach the promotion play-off places had long evaporated. Meanwhile, Preston had consolidated their place in mid-table quite comfortably, and whilst mathematically still in with a shout of play-off contention, I think all but the most over-optimistic North-Ender would have accepted that they were realistically out of reach.
Now you could have been forgiven for thinking that with nothing to really play for, both sets of supporters would have been fairly muted……but with local bragging rights up for grabs the atmosphere was positively beginning to crackle in and around the ground. Indeed, the Darwen End was a complete 7,000 sell out for Preston fans, most of whom arrived in good voice following the short journey along the A59. There was even suggestions that several hundred Preston supporters unable to get tickets had, or were planning to try and get in other stands to watch the match. I wonder if some of them had like me missed the last league fixture thinking that there’s ‘always be next season’ and weren’t going to run the risk again maybe?
Blackburn End
It’s also entirely possible that some sensed this would be our best chance to see a win with North End substantially higher in the table and on half decent form, and if there was apprehension around the ground, it was distinctly more palpable from the home supporters. As we were still full from our large breakfast, we didn’t trouble the food kiosks, and instead headed into the seating area to taste the build-up in the atmosphere. By the time the teams came out of the tunnel to the sound of Coldplay, the atmosphere in the Darwen End was positively jumping as the 7,000 strong legion of Preston supporters implored their players to dig deep and secure more local bragging rights.
Once the game got underway, it commenced with that classic tough keenly fought battle that you hope and expect for in a derby match. You could sense it mattered to both sets of players. I suspect the locals hadn’t let them forget the pain of being beaten at home by equally bitter rivals Burnley for the first time in decades earlier on during the season here at Ewood. Not entirely against the run of play, the home side took the lead on the quarter hour mark courtesy of an Elliot Ward goal following up good approach play, and to be honest we could have had few complaints. I started to get that sinking feeling that today was not going to be our day, and that the car breaking down twice had been an omen……..and that hoping for three away wins in the season’s derbies really was just plain greedy.
Ten minutes later however, there was a brief flurry of activity at the other end as we pressed for an equaliser only to be denied by a great one-handed save courtesy of a desperately outstretched arm – a save that any keeper would have been pleased with – except the problem for the Rovers was that the person making the acrobatic save was in fact not their goalkeeper but their defender Shane Duffy. The referee had little choice but to produce the red card and award a penalty, and a downcast but unsurprised Mr Duffy trudged disconsolately off the pitch without protest. Meanwhile all around me 6,999 Preston fans danced with delight at the penalty decision. I stayed rooted to the spot. I’ve seen too many penalties missed down the years, and especially in a game such as this, it counts for nothing until the penalty has been converted.
The talismanic Joey Garner, once on Rovers books many moons prior stepped up to take the penalty and I could hardly watch………but I suspect I was one of the loudest as we saw the bottom of the net balloon as the penalty was despatched. Once again though, my nerves started to set in as we failed to capitalise on several good chances, and I started to wonder whether the curse of 10 men would strike against us. I think I hid the nerves well though, as I joined in with every chant going…..hoping against hope that we could get the job done. Just before half-time, we finally did take the lead with a good move from the midfield maestro Paul Gallagher allowing Jordan Hugill to bury a shot and put the travelling Preston faithful into raptures. I don’t think I’ve ever known a half-time whizz by so quickly…….before we’d even caught our breath, the players were back out ready to crack on with the second half. Now we sensed a rout, as we dominated the second half, and made the extra man count in just about every department except in front of goal. Even the substitute appearance of Jermaine Beckford failed to seal the third goal that would have possibly put the game to bed. And as the minutes ticked down, so the nerves returned. So close we seemed now to that 3rd away win of the big derbies, it was tantalising, yet the Rovers 10 men valiantly threw everything including the kitchen sink at a tiring Preston back-line. They even carved out a gilt edged chance to score that had 7,000 hearts in the mouths……….but for once lady luck smiled upon Preston North End as the Rovers player fluffed his lines that would have ensured hero status in the local papers back pages.
The ref blew for full time…..and the Darwen End erupted. The post-match raucous celebrations went on for an eon, and the players and the manager came over to salute the fans and enjoy the moment. For me, it was an overwhelmingly great and almost emotional moment. This was the signature to a purple period for us and our little club, and how golden it felt to have a clutch of players who clearly took such pride in playing for the club and the supporters, and it felt only right that they took time to really enjoy the moment too. Most of them had been instrumental in achieving promotion the previous season too, and it really was just one of those beautiful moments in my life of supporting Preston North End.
Jack Walker Stand
A crowd of over 21,000 had watched the derby, which showed that local bragging rights still counts for a lot even when competitively there wasn’t anything left at stake. There are I suppose, few perfect moments in football. But that makes us savour them all the more when we have them. Eventually we filtered out of the ground and dispersed in various directions. We tagged along with the army headed towards the main railway station which was close to where I’d ditched the car and I shelled out several hundred quid to join the RAC, and several hours later, the car was fixed and we were on our way south. Cost-wise, it had without doubt proven to be the most expensive away match ever once you compute the cost of a car battery, alternator, and RAC membership onto the diesel consumed en route from Chatham to Chichester, then onto Blackburn, and back to Chatham and the overnight stay, but I can honestly declare I did not care one jot.
I had dared to dream about this moment for so long. Away wins at Burnley, Bolton, and now Blackburn. All in the same season. I had no finger-nails left. I had no voice left. I was approximately £500 lighter. I couldn’t have cared less. I was as happy as could be, and the journey south just flew past as I revelled in the realisation of the dream. Coupled to that, we were clearly going to finish the season higher up the table than the Rovers, and with Bolton dropping down, we really could claim to now be one of the serious forces of Lancashire football. We really could be Proud Preston!
Plus points for Ewood Park
1. Ground still has a traditional feel to it despite modernisation
2. So long as you are okay with a reasonable walk, the ground is accessible on foot from the railway station
3. Generous away allocation when required
4. Two floodlight pylons (well………..it’s better than none at all!)
Minus points for Ewood Park
1. Home fans have a reputation for being quiet ( enhanced upon my experience )
Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United
Football Championship League
Saturday 12th March 2016, 12.30pm
Shaun Tully (Leeds United fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting Ewood Park?
Having moved to Northern Ireland some time ago this was my first competitive Leeds away game for over 20 years & the very first away game for my son (Ewood Park is becoming the ground of choice to break your sibling into away games, see Allan Caley's previous entry).
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
After flying into Manchester Airport, we collected the hire car and then drove up the M61 & M65 before turning off at the A666 (Ewood Park is signposted from here) Rather than follow the A666 into Blackburn we turned immediately right onto the B6231 (Sandy Lane) and down the hill passing a Premier Inn. At the bottom we turned left back towards the A666 but before you reached that junction there were several places offering parking for £5 or £6. Journey time from M65 to parking just over five minutes and from there it was just another five minutes walk to the ground with the away end the first bit you reach.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We went to the Fernhurst Lodge which is on the left after the junction with the A666. Pleasant enough pub with standard selection of beers/food friendly staff and a mix of home and away fans inside.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Ewood Park?
From the Bryan Douglas Stand where the away fans are located, Ewood Park looks like a typical Premier League football ground. That is until you look to your right at the Riverside Stand. This is a stand which looks more like League One or League Two standard, where entrance is from the front, leaving a large track between the pitch and the stands for access. Other than that it all looked pretty modern and the away stand has good clear views of the pitch.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The early kick off time and poor form of Blackburn Rovers meant there was less home fans than in previous years and not too much noise coming from them. Stewards were fairly relaxed (certainly compared to the ones at Elland Road!) standard selection of food on offer inside the stadium.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Excellent. We were back at the car within ten minutes of the final whistle and on the motorway a further 5-10 minutes after that.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Thoroughly enjoyed being back on the road with Leeds (especially as we got a rare win 2-1!) Very easy access to/from the ground, great views from where we were standing, hard to think of a fault anywhere really.
Blackburn Rovers v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunday January 11th 2015, 2pm
Championship League
Aimee Henry (Wolves fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I'd never been to Ewood Park before, and after a terrible set of results in November, the Wolves had just hit a bit of decent form, so I fancied us to possibly get a result. This was despite our best player Bakary Sako being unavailable because he was off to play in the African Cup of Nations. The 2pm Sunday Kick-Off (thanks Lancashire Police!) did make it a slightly more difficult away day, but I still wanted to go. After rounding up a party of people to travel with (my dad and my brother, essentially), it was just a case of getting tickets. Which at £21, I thought was very reasonable, especially compared to some away games we have been to so far this season (*cough cough* £36 at Leeds *cough cough*).
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We went on the club's official coaches, as on this occasion it worked out as the cheapest option. Usually I'll go on the train and split the journey, but for some reason I still couldn't get a train ticket cheaper than the £17 cost of the bus. The journey took about 2 hours 10 minutes; we left Molineux at 10am and arrived at Ewood Park at 12:10pm. The ground did seem to be on a fairly straight road from the M65, so I'd suggest it's fairly easy to get to. There was plenty of car parking space, I noticed at least 3 decent sized car parks on my way there, all reasonably close to the stadium.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
I had a little walk around the ground, then got chatting to a couple of Blackburn fans. They were very happy to chat, but weren't feeling too confident ahead of the game. I noticed quite a few places to eat around the ground, so you certainly won't go hungry or thirsty!
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground is a decent size, with three large stands and one slightly smaller one on the far side. The away and home ends look identical. One nice touch I noticed was that in the space between the away end and the Main Stand, there was a pictorial history of Blackburn on the wall. Being a Wolves fan, the history of a club is always something I'm interested in, so seeing Blackburn's pride in what they've achieved was great to see. More clubs should do that. Like Molineux, Ewood Park also has a statue to honour one of its former greats. Not a player, like Billy Wright, or Wolves manager, like Stan Cullis, but an owner. Jack Walker was a local lad done good, who invested millions into the club, and saw them win the Premier League in 1994-1995. Speaking to a couple of Blackburn fans stood by the statue left me in no doubt as to how respected and revered Jack was to the people of Blackburn.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc…
The game itself was, as our manager Kenny Jackett later described, "A typical Championship game". Neither side could really dominate the first half, nor break the deadlock. Whilst Wolves probably shaded possession, Blackburn had the two most presentable chances. Ben Marshall's fizzing free kick was superbly saved by Carl Ikeme, whilst Rudy Gestede powered a header just wide from 12 yards. At the other end, Nouha Dicko's low drive very nearly squirmed into the near post, and skipper Danny Batth's towering header was cleared off the line. 0-0 at Half Time was about fair.
Second half though, the game really opened up, and the more expansive play really suited the pacey Wolves attackers. We took the lead right at the start of the half, some excellent work from Dicko finding 'Dangerous' Dave Edwards, who turned inside Grant Hanley before firing into the bottom corner. After that it was all Wolves. Dicko thumped the bar with an effort, Edwards twice slid in but couldn't convert low crosses from James Henry then Rajiv Van La Parra, whilst Batth again came close with a header, this time though his effort from 6 yards missed the target. Blackburn's best chance of an equaliser came when Richard Stearman comically headed against his own post. Late on substitute Josh King found a yard of space and hit the target, only to be denied smartly by Ikeme. Wolves held on though for an impressive win, to take their run to 3 straight League wins. 1-0 makes the game sound a little mundane, but as the ever astute Jackett pointed out, most games in the Championship are decided by this sort of margin. But for a 'Nightmare November', as I've christened it, we could quite easily be challenging at the table's summit. As it was, the three points took Wolves to 8th, and within a point of the play-off places.
I thought the atmosphere was a little subdued at times. Ewood Park was by no means full, the fact that it was just after Christmas, and 2pm on a Sunday perhaps contributing to a lower than usual gate. The home fans got behind their team occasionally, but the loudest chant was aimed at their manager Gary Bowyer. "You don't know what you're doing.." echoed round the ground as he replaced the threatening Gestede with Chris Brown (the former Doncaster striker, rather than the R&B star and Rihanna's one time squeeze). The away end was split between home and away fans, which as you can imagine led to some banter between the two. One particular group of surly youths, resplendent in trackies and trainers, copped some frightful stick from my fellow Wolves fans as they walked out early. "You've got school in the morning, school in the morning!” followed by "You're just a (rude word) One Direction!” One day I'll be witty enough to start a chant, for now though I'll just join in and point.
The stewards did their jobs effectively, without getting involved. It's always good fun when you have a numbered ticket, because when showing you to your seat, stewards often assume you can't count. "You're in seat 96 love, so there's 90, it will be 6 along". Well, that's usually how numbers work, thanks. All joking aside, they were very friendly. The food was your usual football ground fayre- pies, burgers, hot dogs. You can gain calories just looking at the menu. I had a marvelous 'Peppered' Steak Pie though, I really recommend it. On a cold Lancashire afternoon it was perfect. Notice how I've put the Peppered part in inverted commas though, because it was very peppery! It took me until the following Tuesday to get some of my taste buds working again.
I often read horror stories about the male toilets at football grounds, the sort that make me glad to be a girl. The female toilets tend to be well maintained, and Ewood Park was no exception. The concourse was actually very spacious I felt, and even at Half Time when everybody was down there you could just about walk round without knocking into people too badly.
The programme was excellent, and whilst £3 is about the going rate these days, I was more than happy to pay. If you can pick your way through the adverts there were some excellent articles, including what looks like a season-long feature on the 1994-1995 Premier League winning side.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Very easy, the coaches were parked at the back of the away end, so a 2 minute walk from the stand to the warmth of the coach, and after a 10 minute wait we were off. The journey home was accompanied by 5 Live's commentary of Southampton beating Man Utd at Old Trafford, followed by the usual collection of nutters phoning up 606. To listen to some of them, it's amazing they've worked out how to use a telephone to ring up, honestly.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Obviously a win always makes those away days feel sweeter, but I did really enjoy my trip to Ewood Park. It has the feel of a modern stadium, but one that's very much in touch with its past. Blackburn's fans were very accommodating and friendly, and whilst the atmosphere wasn't the greatest, I can imagine when it's full for those thunderous Lancashire derbies, that it can get very raucous.
Blackburn Rovers v Cardiff City
Championship League
Friday August 8th 2014, 7.45pm
Jonathan Pearce (Cardiff City fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
This was Cardiff's opening game of the 2014/15 season. Plus it was to be my first away game unaccompanied, as previously I have always gone with my Dad. So I was looking forward to meeting up with my mates for the day out in the North West.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I traveled up on the supporters bus from Cardiff. It was a Friday night game and we left at about 12:30pm. The traffic was a nightmare and it took us about 6 and 1/2 hours to get there, literally getting there five minutes before kick off. Still we did better than a lot of other Cardiff fans, who I noted were still coming into the ground at half time!
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
As I said we only had a few minutes before the game, so it was straight into the stadium, although a few of the home fans gave a lot of banter on the way which was good.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Pretty much the same as a lot of grounds with four separate stands. Three of them were modern looking with one older stand located on one side. I did note that eventhough the away end was pretty modern, there was not much room to walk or move in, between the rows.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The stewards were very good with us all. Plus the atmosphere was also very good, with both sets of fans with us being side by side in the same stand. However, the facilities weren't brilliant as there was no organised queuing system on the concourse and the serving staff had little space to work in. Which meant it took me a good 20 minutes to get served at half time.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
After the game it was very easy getting away from the ground on the coach, as the police gave us an escort away from the stadium and back into the motorway. There were no traffic problems on the way back.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
The day was very enjoyable, after we finally arrived there after a gruelling journey. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, so at least we picked up a point. Both teams put in good performances although Cardiff seemed to run out of steam a bit in the second half. I'm normally not one to have a got at the, referee but there were some very questionable decisions throughout the match. But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the day out.
Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United
Championship League
Saturday November 30th 2013, 3pm
Allan Caley (Leeds United fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I haven't attended an away Leeds game for over 30 years and decided to take my son to his first ever.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We left Grimsby at 09:30am and it was very easy to park up the hill near the M56 junction on a street, arriving at 12:30.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We went in the small Golden Cup pub for a drink till about 2:20pm. It was packed with about 400 Leeds fans both inside and out. There wasn't any trouble at all. Didn't see any Blackburn fans until we walked the short distance down the hill to the area around the ground. There was a large police presence and they looked on edge, but I saw no incidents.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
It was a fantastic view from the 4th row of the upper tier of the Darwen End, right behind the goal. the rest of the stadium looked good but it seemed almost empty. The Walker stand looks good but only had a couple of thousand in it. The Riverside was a third full and the Blackburn end was maybe 1/2 to 2/3rds full and quiet for much of the game.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game: well we had a great view of an abject performance by both teams really. The atmosphere was the highlight of the trip with 6,800+ Leeds fans there I lost my voice before the end of the game. The stewards were there; and that was about it. I didn't see any of them talking to anybody. We stood up the whole match so don't really know if the seats were too cramped. The queues for food were too long to join and the toilet facilities were good. The result: 1-0 to Blackburn, a draw would have been a fair result 🙁
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Very easy to leave the ground and getting back to the car was quick and we were back on the motorway within 20 minutes of the final whistle.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A great day out, we'll do it again next year if we are still in the same division as them, and hope for a better result.
Blackburn Rovers v Blackpool
Championship League
Friday March 29th 2013, 3pm
Michelle-Louise Burrows (Blackpool fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Lancashire Derby mainly but with both us and Rovers surprisingly struggling to stay in the Championship – us after a season of monumental upheaval – this was a big one. Also, I for one, was looking forward to giving Michael "Voldemort" Appleton some stick after he defected from us to Rovers, only for Rovers to sack him a few days before the game. Spoilsports.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I decided against taking the car and went by train instead. Poulton le Fylde to Preston was fairly straightforward but Preston to Blackburn was not. First of all, the loutish behaviour of some of our fans was off putting and the train journey to Blackburn was an insight into how sardines must feel. Memo to self: Take the car next time.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Had a drink in the Mill Hill and Haverstock pubs, about a mile from Ewood, with friends before making my way to the Darwen End. Rovers and Seasiders happily mingling on the way to the ground. I find Rovers fans very friendly and always willing to chat about football.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Ewood Park, it has to be said, is too big for a town the size of Blackburn. Rovers, like the rest of the Lancashire clubs, do not have a big catchment area of support to draw upon. However, the facilities, policing – at Ewood itself – and stewarding were excellent.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Rovers were totally dire and we weren't much better either. Which was one of the reasons both of us were at the bottom end of the Championship. The game's main highlight was when one of our fans, dressed as a chicken to take the urine out of the Rovers support, was unfairly ejected from the ground. Big Gary Mackenzie gave us the lead midway through the second half before Jordan Rhodes, despite being so offside he was in Yorkshire, equalised for Rovers. Most of the atmosphere came from us Seasiders as usual as I thought the atmosphere from the Jack Walker, Blackburn End and Riverside Stand was funeral-like, to put it mildly. Fair result in the end.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Walked back to Blackburn station only to be met by a heavy handed Police who thought Blackpool fans were intent on trouble. Given that we have a lot of females and children amongst our support, I was angry that they were put in such a situation. Felt very uncomfortable with this and it so nearly kicked off when one of our fans was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Glad to get home in the end.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Despite the result, both of us survived comfortably in the end. But what should have been a good day out, as it usually is when I go away with Blackpool whatever the result, was spoilt by Lancashire Police's Riot Squad- like tactics at Blackburn station and the behaviour of some of our fans which only exacerbated the situation. Next time, I WILL take the car.
Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United
Championship League
Saturday February 23rd 2013, 3pm
John Rogers (Leeds United fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
A new ground for me and unusually, I was going to be on my own (other than in the company of 3500 other Leeds fans). I had seen Ewood Park many times on television and had not been particularly impressed, but the reality proved to be somewhat different.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey (M65 from West Yorkshire) was easy as I have regularly passed the signs for Ewood – J4 from the M65 – and on the A666. From the motorway junction the signage directs one down under the motorway bridge and the ground is at the bottom of the hill. Ewood Park is also within walking distance from the railway station.
Other reviews of Ewood directed drivers to one of a number of club-linked car parks or pub car parks, all of which charge between £5-£10. Personally, I think football is dear enough without adding unnecessarily to the overall cost (my ticket was £32, the price hiked by Blackburn in tit-for-tat retaliation for what Ken Bates had charged away fans at Elland Road). I was therefore pleased to find early arrival gave me a choice of on street parking: to the left of the Gold Cup pub (immediately under the motorway bridge) or on the main road after the traffic lights, leading down to Ewood Park. The walk to the ground took no more than 10 minutes.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Having plenty of time before the game, I took the opportunity to add to my collection of stadium photographs. As kick-off approached there were plenty of Leeds fans around wearing colours with no suggestion of trouble. Watching the teams arrive home fans were quite happy to engage in conversation, perhaps partly due to the fact that we have had similar experiences in recent years (owners and managers we have not been happy with; performances failing to live up to expectations etc).
For those looking for a pub, the Golden Cup, just off the motorway, is designated for away fans.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
A statue of Jack Walker stands outside the Blackburn End and Ewood Park is now very much 'The House That Jack Built'. I suppose he was the ideal football club owner: a fan, with the money to build a successful side and a ground to match.
As with many traditional football ground locations, Ewood Park is flanked on one side by terraced housing, but on the other by a small river. The stand adjacent to the latter is somewhat incongruous, being a single tiered affair with pillars, whereas the other three stands are modern steel-and-glass and bigger than I had anticipated.
Inside, the ground is similarly modern: clean concourses (at least in the away end), great lines of sight and close to the pitch.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was reasonably entertaining, with Leeds looking the more likely scorers. It was therefore a surprise when it ended 0-0 – our first goalless draw in 50-odd games. The 3500 Leeds supporters easily outsang the 14500 home support who had perhaps lost their collective voice having eventually persuaded the owners that Steve Kean was not the man to take the club forward.
Stewards were polite and unobtrusive. Refreshments were typical unimaginative football fare and overpriced (£2.20 for a cup of tea). Toilets were clean but probably inadequate at half time after the quantity of beer that was presumably consumed before the game.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
The police had a well-rehearsed procedure for handling the crowd after the game: much of the road immediately outside the ground was cordoned off to traffic. I had a ten minute walk back to the car, which I had parked close to the motorway, followed by a ten minute delay as departing coaches were given priority over side roads. Once on the motorway it was a clear run home on the M65.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Although the result was slightly disappointing, this was a great day out. I liked the fact that there was none of the faux atmosphere some clubs (e.g. Wigan) create to try to cover for the lack of noise coming from the crowd – we don't need that sort of Americanisation in football. But the main memory of the day was the people I came into contact with at Blackburn: home fans, stewards, programme sellers, ticket office- and catering staff were friendly and unusually (in my experience) courteous – a real credit to the club.
Blackburn Rovers v Bristol City
Championship League
Saturday February 2nd 2013, 3pm
Joe White (Bristol City fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Another new ground for me, had already earmarked this before the fixtures came out. Unfortunately we were drawn away to Blackburn in the 3rd round of the FA cup about a month prior to this so we did not take a big following to either ties (we took 567 in the cup). We'd taken 1,344 to Bolton towards the start of the season and would have taken at least this amount if we hadn't played Blackburn in the cup. One of the bigger grounds in the division and a ground I've seen on TV many times so I was looking forward to seeing my team play here.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Easy, from the pub we went to (the Anchor on Blackburn Road) it was a straight road to the ground, albeit a fairly long one. We parked in a car park two minutes walk from the stadium for a fiver.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Went to the Anchor which was the advised away fan friendly pub as the usual one (the Fernhurst) was closed. It is quite near to the exit off the motorway so perfect in that sense. Parked in pub car park along with a couple of minibuses and a coach full of city fans. Great pub inside (although no proper cider) – 2 pool tables, football on the TVs and darts. Quite a few city fans inside and a couple of Blackburn fans who seemed friendly. Got into the ground just before KO so not enough time to get a drink in the ground but was impressed to see were selling Kingston Press cider (which most city fans seemed to be drinking).
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Ground looked impressive from the outside and was good inside too. Three stands of similar description and all separate. One older stand along one side set slightly back from the pitch added character to the ground. Away concourse was small but plenty big enough for our small following. I did think how cramped in must be when Man United pack out the away end. The ground was less than half full so seemed a bit poor in that sense but got the feeling that a sell out crowd would make a fantastic atmosphere.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
We lost 2-0 to two Jordan Rhodes goals. Atmosphere was quite good from the home fans – their bulk of singers stood in the same stand to our right. Must have been over 1000 who stood and sang throughout – some good banter. Their home end was heard once or twice when two nil up too although they were quiet (from where I was stood) for most the game and only had a few standing. We were poor as usual for our away support. Most sat but we still had 200 or so stood and sang up until midway through the second half. Stewards made no attempt to make anyone sit down which was good. A couple of city fans were ejected when they scored their first goal – unsure exactly why this was and it did look like one of the stewards punched a lad which meant a few fans rushed over to have a pop at them. All calmed down in a couple of minutes after some pushing and shoving.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Traffic was bad after the game. We crawled our for about 20 minutes – soon as we got on motorway we were fine all the way back. Took about 3 1/2 hours travelling time by car.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Disappointing result but was impressed with the ground and their fans (relative to some other home fans).
Attendance: 13,539 – City fans (547)
Blackburn Rovers v Bolton Wanderers
Championship League
Wednesday, November 28th, 2012, 7.45pm
Michael Peters (Bolton Wanderers fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Blackburn are fairly local, which makes the game a small derby, so it promised to be an exciting fixture with a good atmosphere. Ewood Park is a traditional football ground, giving it that special feel to match the occasion.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
We got the train to Preston, where we quickly changed onto another train heading for Mill Hill Station. Mill Hill is around 10 minute walk from Ewood, making it very easy to get to by rail. Mill Hill is much closer than the main Blackburn Train Station. The train from Preston to Mill Hill was small, with only two carriages, which made for a tight squeeze due to the number of football fans piling on.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
After getting off the train and walking to the stadium, we had over an hour and a half to spare. We walked 10 minutes past the away end in order to drink at the only designated away pub. This is The Golden Cup. The pub is very small, meaning queues for ale were outside the door. None of the four or so pubs around Ewood accept away fans.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The concourse serves good food and drink. However, it is fairly tight when busy, made rather uncomfortable by the Bolton fans having a disco! Ewood Park is a proper English ground with plenty of character. The small Riverside Stand to the right of the away end may be seen as unappealing by some, however I believe it adds to the character of the ground.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Around 3,500 Bolton fans made the trip and made a good amount of noise. A number of home fans are housed in the same stand as the away fans, and they provided a good amount of banter with us. They carried on all game which gave us something to compete with, which led to a cracking atmosphere.
The opposite end to us seemed like the 'main home area' with this being the busiest, and loudest section when they sang. The rendition of 'No Nay Never' at the start of the second half was impressive.
We massively dominated the game, and were 2-0 up with twenty minutes left. Rovers played dreadfully all game but manged to pull a late goal back. Thankfully, we saw the game out and took the 1-2 victory back to The Reebok with us. The game was feisty, full of passion, great entertainment and most importantly gave us three valuable points in a competitive division.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Leaving the Darwen End was rather intimidating as home and away fans spilled out together, this being in the darkness due to the 7:45 kick off. With Bolton fans happy, and the home fans not so, there were a few scuffles. This appeared to only be from a minority of home fans, and the police swiftly resolved the situation. We arrived back at the station 15 minutes after leaving Ewood, where we had a friendly conversation with a group of Blackburn fans who were friendly and welcoming.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Blackburn is a great away trip, easily accessible and on the whole a friendly place. The home fans provided one of the best atmospheres in the league which made this trip more entertaining than the others I have been to this season. My only criticisms would be the away pub due to it's small size, the cramped concourse, and the seats appeared to have little leg room, which wasn't an issue as we didn't sit down all game! I will definitely return next season if we both remain in the Championship.
Blackburn Rovers v Millwall
Championship League
Saturday, November 24th, 2012, 3pm
Steve Long (Millwall fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I was looking forward to visiting Ewood Park as I had never been before and it's always looked a tidy ground from when I have seen it on television.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I used the official coach provided by Millwall so it was very easy. Coach parked right outside the away stand.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We didn't arrive until gone two, so we made our way straight into the ground. Did not seem to be many home supporters about.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
I was impressed with the ground. From turning up outside the away stand it looked huge. Made my way inside and took my seat. It's what I call a proper football stadium with the stands fairly close to the pitch. Three sides very neat, tidy and match and should they build the fourth side to match then the ground could be up there with the very best.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
I really enjoyed the game. Very good performance from my team recording a very impressive away win. Blackburn is not a happy place at the moment and the atmosphere from the home end was unsurprisingly subdued but the travelling support was very vocal and it made for a great atmosphere.
The facilities in the away end were very good as are the catering facilities. Stewards were helpful and friendly. Only complaint was they do not let you outside at half time for a cigarette so the toilets soon become the alternative place to smoke which is not very pleasant.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
As I was on the coach it was very easy.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Really enjoyed my trip to Blackburn. For once the weather was better up north than it was down south, a fantastic performance and a fine away win by Millwall and the 65th ground ticked off my list.
Blackburn Rovers v Leicester City
Championship League
Saturday, August 25th, 2012, 3pm
Dave Berridge (Leicester City fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
This was to be my first trip to Ewood Park. A first visit to a ground always makes it more exciting. I use the Football Ground Guide website for guidance on parking & a pre match pint etc.. but first visits give me a kind of nervous excitement – will I find the car parks? Have I made the right choice of pub? Will the motorways be clear?…..the list goes on!
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Ewood Park is a really easy ground to find if approaching from the M65 – basically one road off the motorway. We drove around the area looking at our pre chosen potential parking and pub spots but eventually decided on parking at The Golden Cup pub just by the M65 bridge. This is about a mile from the ground but we based our decision on being informed that the roads immediately around Ewood Park would we blocked off for a while after the game. On walking back (in the seriously heavy, heavy rain) we saw no evidence of roads being blocked – that said, the ground was probably only half full.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We spent an hour at the Golden Cup pub before the game. They offer limited parking at £5.00 – quite reasonable. There’s a good range of beers and excellent service. This pub seemed to be for away fans in the main but the odd friendly Blackburn face was also on show.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The redevelopment of the ground in the 90s’ still looks quite fresh on approaching the Darwen end for away fans. Once inside the stadium the ground has a quaint feel to it with trees visible in the open corner sections – a sort of larger version of Shrewsburys' old Gay Meadow ground in some ways?
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
A combination of Rovers playing very badly and Leicester playing very well leads me to quote the old phrase “We were robbed!” The assistant ref disallowed a perfectly good goal for The Foxes which would, I’m sure, have seen Rovers off at the time of happening. Where we certainly were not robbed is in the catering department! I had a steak & pepper pie and a coffee at half time. Both reasonably priced and both, without a doubt, the best quality pie and coffee I’ve had in 35 years of visiting football grounds!
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Once we’d walked the mile back to the car in the relentless rain that had started on our arrival in Blackburn and continued all afternoon, we had a good get away, accessing the M65 easily. One or two taunts from some young Rovers fans accompanied our walk to the car but nothing sinister!
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
I enjoyed the day, despite the result. I’d definitely return – not least of all for the food!
Blackburn Rovers v Swansea City
Premier League
Saturday, December 3rd, 2011, 3pm
Joseph Thomas (Swansea City fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
It promised to be a relegation battle between both clubs and despite being new to the Premier League, it was the smaller stadiums like Ewood Park, that I was looking forward to visiting more. I was also looking forward to going to a game not supported by ‘glory hunter’ and by local people who love their club (despite the anti Steve Kean chants).
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I caught the train up from Cardiff, by myself (after working a night shift!) at 07:55, went via Bristol Parkway, Birmingham New Street and Preston, and eventually arrived at Mill Hill (Lancashire) Station shortly after mid-day. It was about a 10 minute walk to the ground and we mixed with a few Rovers fans as we strolled along. They were a very pleasant bunch and a good bit of banter was had too. Some of the Rovers fans were saying they looking forward to see what everyone had been saying about our ‘fantastic’ support and playing style.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
I met a few friends, but decided to avoid the pubs in case they got a bit rowdy with home protests against Steve Kean, so with us all wearing our colours, decided to stay away. Had a burger outside the ground and decided to go up to the Aldi/McDonalds complex where we found a Ladbrokes and put a few bets on a few of the other matches being played – we’ve learned to never bet on our own games!
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Seemed a really nice ground to be fair, we went into the club shop about an hour before the game which was very impressive compared to ours, I must say. Good atmosphere around the stadium and the away end seemed to be good. A bit of banter was had as the “Legends Lounge” is situated at the Away End. A few ambitious Swansea City fans thought they were "Legendary" enough to enter, much to the amusement of the Stewards who quickly escorted them out with big smiles on their faces.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
Rovers 4 Swansea 2. Not the best of games for us. Unbelievable that the Rovers fans were still chanting ‘Kean Out’ after Yakubu put Rovers 4-2 up with a penalty! We went down to ten men and overall, we couldn’t really complain about anything. A few of our fans were escorted out after banging on the sides of the stand so I recommend nobody does that. There was one particularly attractive female steward who took my attention for most of the game. Talent!
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Easy enough getting back to Mill Hill station, another few Rovers fans came up to me and asked how I thought we’d played and what I thought of the result. They were really nice, to be fair. No mocking, no gloating. Very honest, real fans. I must say I was very impressed!
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Despite the result, it was a very good trip on the whole. I’d definitely recommend Ewood Park to anyone. Good local fans supporting their team and no trouble at all around the ground. 8/10 overall. One of the better away days so far this season! (Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Norwich, Liverpool, Wolves and Shrewsbury, being the others we’ve done so far). Well done, Blackburn!
Blackburn Rovers v Sheffield Wednesday
Carling Cup 2nd Round
Wednesday 24th August 2011, 7.45pm
Kevin Wrenn (Neutral fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I have never been to Ewood Park, which is strange as I have lived just down the road in Preston for over 11 years. The £10 entry and having a great mate who supported Wednesday sealed it.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Got off the train at Mill Hill station. Anyone coming into Blackburn from Preston would do well to get off here. No more than a leisurely stroll to the ground, passing several pubs where a discrete away fan should be fine for a beer (not sure what it would be like for the Mancs/Scousers/Lillywhites/Burnley etc.. though).
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Wandering down to the ground we spotted plenty of take aways and off-licenses. We headed to the away ticket point to get our seats, and then were directed straight up the main road to the 'away' pub, the Fernhurst. It was just 3 minutes walk away. However, they were charging £2 entry fee to the bar, or there was an outside bar charging £3.40 a pint of lager or £2.90 for ale! We headed back towards the ground and were told by a friendly doorman at the WMC (NOT for away fans) to head back up the hill (past McDonalds) to any of the pubs up there (there are 3 in short distance). We went in to the White Horse, in which we had a much more reasonably priced pint. The Fox and Hounds, over the road from McDonalds, didn't look all that friendly with door staff. There are chippies and takeaways on the main road running behind the Jack Walker stand.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground is modern and well appointed, sharing a lot of similarities with Anfield in that it is red brick and very much a 'square' ground as opposed to these modern bowl libraries.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
Beer and food available in the ground was spot on, including these new fancy Guinness pints created by sonic vibrations! Cracking pint for £3.20. For a League Cup match the crowd was fairly poor, even at £10 a ticket. The stewards were chatty, and I had a really genuine football conversation with a Celtic supporting bobby!
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game.
Rather hazy memories (the Guinness was good!) but no problems, however the crowd was barely 10,000. Got the late train back to Preston, again from Mill Hill, managed to catch a late chippy on the route back.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out.
Glad to see teams making these early matches affordable. Despite the awful football the people and the situation of the ground would make this a good day out for any fan. Another ticked off the list.
Blackburn Rovers v Everton
Premier League
Saturday 17th April 2010, 3pm
Patrick Burke (Everton fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I had been to Blackburn several times before and we had always come away with a great result so I was hoping for the same this time. Last time, our seats were great and offered a great view.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Very, very easy. About 15 minutes from the ground, there are a number of side streets so we decided to park down one of them. The journey was relatively simple, as the ground is located not far from the motorway.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
Before the game, we went into the Golden Cup pub. We found it very quiet but good drinks and food. On the way back, we tried a small chippy and surprisingly I must say, the chips were one of the best I have ever tasted and it did seem quite popular with home fans.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground looks very impressive from the outside, but we didn't have time to look around, as we were 2 minutes late. Inside it looks equally impressive except the Riverside Stand on one side.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
Great game, deservedly ending up 3-2 to Everton but I have to comment on Steven N'zonzi's goal, it was one of the best goals I have ever seen at a football match, it didn't look so good on Match of the Day but on the day, it was quite stunning. A great atmosphere and banter created between the two sets of fans with some quite embarrassing chants. The stewards were unnoticeable (I hope that's a word!) with high quality facilities. My pie at a recent trip to Wigan had put me off pies so I chose not to have one at Ewood.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Slightly harder due to the busy traffic heading in our direction but once we were past that, just as simple as on the way. Great atmosphere in the car on the way back after Tim's (Cahill) late winner aswell as fans on the radio.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A great day out as always at Blackburn, if you're going to go to an away game, I would strongly recommend coming to Blackburn, easy to get to from all directions and lots of nearby chippy's and pubs and friendly fans, it's a football fans heaven!
Attendance: 27,022