A tough start and a tough finish to what increasingly looks like being one feckin hellish season. Not seen any relegation odds for Championship yet but think Rovers and Sheff Wed will make a tasty and profitable double!

First time I've seen his top set of teeth

Very bad news if correct. To miss 4 of the 6 weeks pre season means the lad wont be ready for the start of the season and he could be trying to play catch-up for months to come. These things happen but we seem to suffer more than most with injuries - think our once much vaunted sports science / medical department has been dumbed down, like all areas in the club, beyond recognition. There's always a price to pay.

Yes, but like Rovers under current conditions, she wasn't competitive..

Name was dragged through the mud twice by Eustace / Derby and then the Women's team too.

I bet we have to play all the teams home and away. It’s the same every bloody season.

At least the one in lane two competed.

Don’t forget Rohan Kanhai. Sunil Gavaskar rated him as the best batsman he’d ever seen and named his son Rohan. Saw him playing for saint annes at Leyland around ‘61. He lived in Blackpool for 60 years.

We’d be the one in lane 2:

It isn’t an exact science like if it is hamstring (just guessing at this stage) you could do all your tests and they come up yes fine but when your running you could overstretch it on a turn or a stride where it’s classed as a ‘strain’ same with groin and quad injuries just happen - there’s no conspiracy to it

I couldn't care less about it being Derby. Shame it wasn't against Preston. That would have made it a bit more of an occasion.

Shouldn't all the testing/complex pre season programme prevent the possibility of all that? Never remember it happening when they just sent them off to run up and down sand dunes.

150th anniversary game will be a belter anyway! Derby county

More likely to happen early in pre season after being off for weeks Unfortunately it just happens

Yes because you didn’t read my post jumped in and realised you were wrong. Good man

Is this guy Big Val's illicit son or something? My god, I thought it was a wind up at first when I looked at him! Edit: added pic of a younger VI.

I'm less worried by our start. Hull were poor last year and Norwich and West Brom have under achieved the last few years. Whilst bigger names in this division and historically they've challenged well thru haven't pulled up any trees the last couple of years. It's the finish that worries me. Can't see us getting much out of it and they're teams that likely will be around the top.

yes,we offer him a bag of revels,then claim we can`t compete with other clubs on the wages,wonder if there will come a time when we can`t compete with bamber bridge and chorley on the salary front

Ooh goody - another race. I think we all know what that means.

I thought Mike and Duncan especially where fantastic on this. It should be released as a podcast (via BRFCS? @Miller11 @Mike Graham) and used as an X Spaces pre-record for viewership.

How does that happen on day 3 of pre season though? I mean seriously.

I think I'll leave it there!

I have very happy memories of watching East Lancs in the fifties with my Dad. as you say, big crowds. First pro I remember was the Aussie leg-spinner Bruce Dooland. he was a class act and only available because he couldn't get in the Australian team with Ritchie Benaud around. Re the collection, for some spectators it was against their principles to chuck in for the pro on the basis that he was paid to play! Must have seen the entire 1960's West Indies team in the Lancs League. Great days, all gone now of course.

If true I’d say it’s feasible could be hamstring issue in the runs