[Archived] Rovers v West Ham

[rovgers]

We also have the bad habit of struggling against injury hit teams!

Was going to say the snows stopping but the last time I did it starting snowing harder!

[CrazyIvan]

4 1/2 hours drive from Crewe to Preston. Just got back home... it's bad out there.

[USABlue]

Hope the game can go ahead, it's on telly and I am desperately keen to see how we do in Keans's first game in charge.

[Blueboy Downunder]

me too mate. i really hope we get the go ahead. if the council have been doing their bit during the night and trying to clear the roads and gritting aswell...then all roads around ewood park should be reasonable. then with undersoil heating, which i am sure will be on right now, the pitch should be more than playable.

come on, i am anxious to see how we approach a game with somebody else in charge, tactics, formation etc etc

[Exiled_Rover]

I hope it's called off. The longer Kean has between taking over and having to put the team out there the better.

[Paul]

Local weather update. As people know we live 5 miles west of Ewood. This morning we have 7 inches of snow in the backyard, I'd guess in areas which are less sheltered it will be nearer 9 - 10 inches. Temperature is currently -4C. The weather forecats for the last 12 hours has been extremely accurate and the same can probably be applied to the next 12 hours. Forecast is for a beautiful bright, sunny day with maximum temperature of -2C and crucially (I think) -6C by 18.00 hours - in other words getting away from Ewood could be very difficult.

I should add there is a light breeze blowing, and we are in a sheltered spot, it may well be windy in more exposed areas.

Locally the M6 is down to one lane

[philipl]

BBC is showing the A666 and A675 both closed by snow and ice.

Traffic Incident

A666

A666 Bolton Road over Bull Hill Darwen, both ways between Knowlesly Road and B6391 Greens Arms Road

A666 Lancashire - A666 Bolton Road over Bull Hill in Darwen closed in both directions between the Knowlesly Road junction and the B6391 Greens Arms Road junction, because of ice and snow.

Updated 14 minutes ago

Traffic Incident

Longworth Road North Belmont, both ways between A675 Belmont Road and Stones Bank Road

Lancashire - Longworth Road North in Belmont closed in both directions between the A675 Belmont Road junction and the Stones Bank Road junction, because of ice and snow.

Updated 14 minutes ago

[Grez]

I live at ewood - about 5 inches of snow. Main problem will be all roads coming to Blackburn have issues.

[Paul]

This week has been one of rumour and counter rumour, to say it's been distressing for the support would be an understatement. For a couple of hours on Monday I felt completely distraught, the last time I'd felt that badly about Rovers was at Crystal Palace all those years ago. Over the last few days I've seen a lot of opinions expressed and heard many different reports of events within the club. In one small respect I'm pleased to discover Rovers can still move me in a way I thought had gone.

I feel there is far more happening behind the scenes than we know publically, I tend to agree with the view there is a move to clear any resistance to Kentaro / SEM players arriving at the club - see the Allardyce / MacDonald sacking and the criticism, both direct and implied, of Williams / Finn by Mrs Desai - "they must fall in line." Much more appears to be happening at Ewood.

John Williams and Tom Finn have always believed the best way to grow the club is on the pitch, any spare money has always been invested in the playing side of the club. I am sure John and Tom believe the best thing for the club is three points today. Our feelings towards the owners, Kentaro et al must be put aside for 90 minutes. I think the last thing we need is any form of pre-match protest. Blackburn Rovers is the players on the pitch, the manager in the dugout, every employee at Ewood, JW and TF in the posh seats, these are the people we support. These people are Blackburn Rovers.

If you want to protest do so by chanelling all your support towards the team, to show the Rao family this is OUR football club.

[Bobby G]

We had a game called off last season cause of unsafe conditions around the stadium. How does this compare to that?

Has the sun begun to come out?

[Paul]

We had a game called off last season cause of unsafe conditions around the stadium. How does this compare to that?

Well this is a fresh snowfall so it hasn't yet had time to compact. If the roads are cleared, which given the motorway problems may not happen, the pavements will not be cleared and in freezing day temperatures could become very slippy.

Has the sun begun to come out?

It's pitch black. Sunrise is around 08.30am

[Bobby G]

I really hope everything is safe and ready for the game at 3 pm. It would be so massively disappointing not to get on the pitch today.

[darwenblueswearehere]

Thanks for the updates everyone. We're not going to risk travelling down from Glasgow as everything points to a call-off.

[Bobby G]

Thanks for the updates everyone. We're not going to risk travelling down from Glasgow as everything points to a call-off.

Is that really the case?

Since I live abroad I'm not that up to scratch in being able to predict these things especially cause I cant see things with my own eyes, but you'd say this is a no-gamer?

[darwenblueswearehere]

Is that really the case?

Since I live abroad I'm not that up to scratch in being able to predict these things especially cause I cant see things with my own eyes, but you'd say this is a no-gamer?

I'm 220 miles away in Scotland, but if 5 or 6 inches of snow has fallen overnight, and the temperature is around -5, I doubt they'll get roads and pavements clear in time. I have the additional problem of the travelling, so best to make my own early decision.

I hope I'm wrong, in which case I'll tune into Sky Sports later, but there'll be 3 season tickets unused today.

[philipl]

Latest from BBC

M61 Greater Manchester, northbound between A6027 [M61 junction 6] and A6 [M61 junction 8]

M61 Greater Manchester - M61 closed and slow traffic northbound between J6, A6027 (Horwich) and J8, A6 (Chorley), because of an accident and snow.

Updated 25 minutes ago

Traffic Incident

A56

A56 Lancashire, northbound between M66 and A682

A56 Lancashire - A56 closed and hazardous driving conditions northbound between the M66 junction and the A682 junction, because of snow.

Updated 23 minutes ago

Traffic Incident

A666

A666 Bolton Road over Bull Hill Darwen, both ways between Knowlesly Road and B6391 Greens Arms Road

A666 Lancashire - A666 Bolton Road over Bull Hill in Darwen closed in both directions between the Knowlesly Road junction and the B6391 Greens Arms Road junction, because of ice and snow.

Updated 8 minutes ago

Help

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Traffic Incident

Longworth Road North Belmont, both ways between A675 Belmont Road and Stones Bank Road

Lancashire - Longworth Road North in Belmont closed in both directions between the A675 Belmont Road junction and the Stones Bank Road junction, because of ice and snow.

Updated 51 minutes ago

[Paul]

Is that really the case?

Since I live abroad I'm not that up to scratch in being able to predict these things especially cause I cant see things with my own eyes, but you'd say this is a no-gamer?

At the moment there is nothing to suggest the game will be off. The decision will be made by the referee and one would presume he will be inspecting as early as possible. I have the impression this snow came from the west and it may not be as bad in Blackburn as it is in West Lancashire. Last night I was on the M6 Wigan around 18.00 and it was bad then, it's clearly been awful overnight.

M61 north at Chorley, 2 miles from home now closed due to multiple accidents.

[roversmum]

Well said, Paul. Although I support the Rao family and Venky's, I'm still extremely worried about the involvement of Kentaro. At the moment I'm feeling that we fans don't seem to matter, but we are not employees and we cannot be ordered to 'toe the line'.

Will have to wait and see regarding weather. We are next to Junction 9 M61/Junction 2 M65. Snow fairly deep here, getting out of our close will be a challenge let alone anything else. Everything crossed.

[darwenblueswearehere]

At the moment there is nothing to suggest the game will be off. The decision will be made by the referee and one would presume he will be inspecting as early as possible. I have the impression this snow came from the west and it may not be as bad in Blackburn as it is in West Lancashire. Last night I was on the M6 Wigan around 18.00 and it was bad then, it's clearly been awful overnight.

M61 north at Chorley, 2 miles from home now closed due to multiple accidents.

1. There is plenty to suggest that the game will be off.

2. The Police, not the referee, will probably make the decision, and if motorways are blocked, it is a no brainer. The fitness of the pitch is irrelevant.

I would expect there to be an announcement very early this morning.

[nellybc]

waiting for any concrete information before setting off. Already missed the wolves game due to snow at my end of the country. All we have at the moment is -4 and not a drop of the white stuff. Keeping my fingers crossed, although crossing the pennines should be fun!!

[JAL]

The game should be on today we've got a blanket of snow on the ground here but I wouldnt say this is hazardous enough to postpone the game, unless that is Venky's have turned the undersoil heating off.

All the BBC radio Lancashire team have managed to travel into Blackburn today so .......no excuses guys and gals !

[darwenblueswearehere]

waiting for any concrete information before setting off. Already missed the wolves game due to snow at my end of the country. All we have at the moment is -4 and not a drop of the white stuff. Keeping my fingers crossed, although crossing the pennines should be fun!!

Best of luck. Sadly we have to travel through central Scotland and the Lake District. Much as I love the Rovers I'm not risking it...we were lucky with the Wolves game, we just made it.... don't think we've been so fortunate this time.

[Paul]

1. There is plenty to suggest that the game will be off.

2. The Police, not the referee, will probably make the decision, and if motorways are blocked, it is a no brainer. The fitness of the pitch is irrelevant.

I would expect there to be an announcement very early this morning.

errrrrr no there is no suggestion the game will be called off, I wasn't talking about opinions on the weather. As you say the police, club, referee will all have an input and currently there is no suggestion the game will be called off. I agree it could well be, and I won't be surprised if it is, but nothing is being said at the moment. Neither TV nor radio are reporting anything of the sort.

At 08.00 the club website is announcing the game is currently on

[darwenblueswearehere]

errrrrr no there is no suggestion the game will be called off, I wasn't talking about opinions on the weather. As you say the police, club, referee will all have an input and currently there is no suggestion the game will be called off. I agree it could well be, and I won't be surprised if it is, but nothing is being said at the moment. Neither TV nor radio are reporting anything of the sort.

At 08.00 the club website is announcing the game is currently on

Unfortunately those of us who travel long distances need to make a judgement call, probably before there is any initial announcement, and my point is there is enough to suggest to me that its not worth setting off. Thanks for your input into that decision with motorway updates etc

[Mike Graham]

Not a chance of it being on.

I live 6 miles from the ground, near Paul, we have 4 inch of snow and our lane is blocked.