Derby County ticket situation at Blackburn called “shocking” - some think John Eustace saga is reason | OneFootball

Some Rams fans are angry that no further tickets are being sold for their away trip to Lancashire

Derby County supporters have expressed their anger after being told no further tickets will be made available for their trip to Blackburn Rovers on 8th November, despite the away end at Ewood Park having a capacity of around 7,000.

The Rams' allocation of 2,762 tickets for the fixture has sold out, but Rovers have refused to extend the allocation any further.

This decision has sparked outrage among the Derby faithful, with numerous supporters taking to social media to voice their frustration, claiming the move is linked to the controversial departure of John Eustace back in February.​

Eustace, of course, left Blackburn to take charge of Derby - despite the Lancashire club sitting in the play-off places at the time - and then took some of his former Rovers players with him in the summer.

How Derby County fans have reacted to Blackburn Rovers ticket situation

Along with the Eustace factor, his first time back there since leaving, Blackburn will be celebrating their 150th anniversary at Ewood Park that day. Even so, not offering Derby supporters additional tickets has left many of them questioning the motives behind the decision.​

Among those to express their disbelief on social media, one Rams fan posted that it’s "petty" from Blackburn as they have "thousands" of home seats left empty still.

Another added his disappointment, stating that it was one of the only chances a younger fan may have the opportunity to go to an away game this season.

This is perhaps because the away end at Ewood Park is one of the most generous allocations in the Championship, with the Bryan Douglas Darwen End capable of holding up to approximately 7,000 away supporters. 11 months ago, Sunderland were given 7,343 - which they completely sold out.

With this in mind, Derby's capped allocation of 2,762 represents less than 40% of the stand's total capacity.

Derby County Statistics also posted, "Are you kidding me? Away end holds 7K, more than they'll get in home fans, yet because they're still crying about Eustace they've capped it?," while someone else said they can’t see any other reason "besides bitterness."

John Eustace connection fuelling Derby County frustration eight months since Blackburn Rovers exit

At the time of Eustace leaving Blackburn, the club released a strongly-worded statement, expressing they were "extremely disappointed" by his decision to speak with another club at such a crucial stage of the season.

They also stated that significant investment had been made during the January transfer window and they felt in a good position to challenge for the play-offs.​ Rovers eventually ended the 24/25 campaign in seventh, two points adrift.

The situation has arguably been aggravated by the fact that Eustace has since raided his former club, bringing five ex-Blackburn players to Pride Park.

Andreas Weimann and Danny Batth both joined the Rams on free transfers in July, whilst Owen Beck and Dion Sanderson arrived on season-long loans after spending the previous campaign at Blackburn.

Perhaps the hardest to take in Lancashire was Lewis Travis, who swapped captaincy in Lancashire for the East Midlands in a move that was reported to be above the £3m mark.

All in all, the fixture comes at a crucial time for both clubs in terms of how they’re actually playing on the pitch. Yes, there’s still two games to go before they meet, but Derby currently sit four places above Blackburn, who are 21st.

Given that Derby have won their last two league matches, and Rovers one - by the time they do kick-off, the ticket controversy might make an already charged atmosphere a bit more hostile.

With feelings maybe still raw at Ewood Park over Eustace's exit and the subsequent player exodus, each set of fans will be hoping their team can deliver a performance on the pitch to get one over the other.