Alan Shearer Way

[Ewooduknow]

The new road bypassing the fox and hounds. A fitting tribute to surely rovers greatest ever striker..?

[davulsukur]

BBC Link to the story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-34738854

Good tribute.

All we need now is for Sky to acknowledge we actually won the league and we are sorted.

[chor808]

Brillant stuff.

[JHRover]

Excellent tribute. Celebrating our rich history is something I wish we did more of.

I drove along the partially open stretch of new road earlier this week. It looks very nice and should be a big improvement on the previous road. My only concern is the appalling state of the surrounding area. The eyesore travellers camp which is surrounded by mounds of waste which has been fly tipped onto the empty land/car parks. It looks disgusting and is surely a health and safety issue, not to mention making a mockery of the 'regeneration project'.

Its all well and good spending millions on a nice new road and having a big ceremony with Alan Shearer to open it but someone has to do something about the mess, or its just going to be an embarrassment for the area.

I'm also not comfortable with Phil Riley's comments of Rovers being a 'small town team in East Lancashire'. Whilst I am fully aware of the magnitude of the achievement of winning the Premier League and beating the power houses of English football, I don't accept we are a 'small town team'. The very fact we won the league puts us above that status. Blackburn isn't a small town, infact it is by population one of the largest in the UK, and Rovers aren't a small club, infact one of the most successful in England.

[Mattyblue]

I know what you're saying JH, being known as a 'small town club' can often just lead to being known as a 'small club'.

However, we should always look to promote our success as a town club. From such a small catchment area in the most competitive region in English football ('north east the football hotbed' my arse!), we have achieved a hell of a lot.

[tomphil]

I would think Blackburn itself isn't even near the top ten of largest towns in England. In reality medium sized town, medium sized club crowds wise. Grand scheme of things compared to most of the football super powers we are indeed a small town club but with a high profile (or used to have) that's something to be proud of.

Another reason why a club like ours should always go and get the best manager we possibly can to maintain that profile. Something Mr Williams always stressed in his time here.

[Mattyblue]

"Big club in a small town" was his motto.

Following on from Jack's 'Think Big'... all seems a long time ago now.

[A cup of beans]

I would think Blackburn itself isn't even near the top ten of largest towns in England. In reality medium sized town, medium sized club crowds wise. Grand scheme of things compared to most of the football super powers we are indeed a small town club but with a high profile (or used to have) that's something to be proud of.

.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/04/the-knowledge-footballs-most-successful-towns

Wonderful tribute to Shearer. We saw the best of him, despite SKY trying to erase us from history (in every montage).

My memories are clearer than anything.

[perthblue02]

Bet Mrs D is gutted not getting this named after her with it coming up to the 5th glorious year, think "Madame Desai's Unique Way" would be fitting and sums it up.

Still a fitting gesture of happier times, hope he doesn't change his mind after they have street sign printed

[JAL]

The new road bypassing the fox and hounds. A fitting tribute to surely rovers greatest ever striker..?

Good compliment to Alan Shearer wouldn't have named it after Alan though. His success was too short for me.

[johnradfordsubbuteo]

Don't get me wrong it's a fine idea - no AL no PL quite simple.

But weren't we all a bit Jilted john when he left and bitter and not very magnanimous with it? A road named after him soon after his departure then might have been called the Iscariot Interstate...

[JHRover]

Although it is very difficult to calculate owing to changing boundaries etc. there aren't many towns in England significantly bigger than Blackburn. Out of those that are there are places like Poole, Dudley and Warrington that have no professional football club to support. Population wise Blackburn with Darwen is on a similar level to places like Middlesbrough, Huddersfield, Bolton, Ipswich & Reading. Blackburn is a big town by national standards.

Obviously we suffer more competition from nearby towns and cities than places like Middlesbrough and Ipswich do which makes 15,000 gates in this division that bit more difficult whereas they have a 50 mile radius in every direction from where to draw their support.

'Small town' clubs are the likes of Accrington, Fleetwood, Morecambe, Yeovil and Hartlepool.

Medium sized towns are the likes of Bury, Gillingham and Walsall.

Large towns are ourselves, Reading, Middlesbrough & Ipswich.

I don't feel comfortable with this idea of painting ourselves as a 'small town' club almost as though it means we are punching above our weight in the Championship or 'belong' in the lower divisions. I'm fully aware that for a club/town in Blackburn to win the Premier League and sit alongside the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal is something that will probably never again be done, but I really think we need to drop the 'small town club' mentality and start treating ourselves as a big town and even bigger club that should expect to be in the top league or competing to get there.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

It's all relative, but wouldn't you call Reading a small town club? I'm proud of it personally. To have won what we've won means so much more because we're not a big club from a city.

[Mattyblue]

Although it is very difficult to calculate owing to changing boundaries etc. there aren't many towns in England significantly bigger than Blackburn. Out of those that are there are places like Poole, Dudley and Warrington that have no professional football club to support. Population wise Blackburn with Darwen is on a similar level to places like Middlesbrough, Huddersfield, Bolton, Ipswich & Reading. Blackburn is a big town by national standards.

Obviously we suffer more competition from nearby towns and cities than places like Middlesbrough and Ipswich do which makes 15,000 gates in this division that bit more difficult whereas they have a 50 mile radius in every direction from where to draw their support.

'Small town' clubs are the likes of Accrington, Fleetwood, Morecambe, Yeovil and Hartlepool.

Medium sized towns are the likes of Bury, Gillingham and Walsall.

Large towns are ourselves, Reading, Middlesbrough & Ipswich.

Personally I don't compare the town of Blackburn to places like Reading, M'Boro and Ipswich due to the fact that though on paper similar sized towns, they have large catchment areas that we just unfortunately don't have.

What we have achieved is even more remarkable when you consider that in about a 30/40 mile radius, there are around 15 professional clubs, some literally on our doorstep and some massive ones.

[yoda]

The new road bypassing the fox and hounds. A fitting tribute to surely rovers greatest ever striker..?

Along with Tommy Briggs (played 194 games and scored 140 goals) and Simon Garner (scored 194 in all competitions and 168 in the football league)

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I'm all for things like this..a celebration of our success as a town club.

Our History is simply magnificent.

P.S.

Don't forget that the population of Blackburn itself is only some 105,000.

[tomphil]

I'm all for things like this..a celebration of our success as a town club.

Our History is simply magnificent.

P.S.

Don't forget that the population of Blackburn itself is only some 105,000.

Growing by the day with stealth migration I bet. Be nice if the eastern euros get into the habit of going to Ewood

Anyway back on topic I think it's a good idea to name the road after Shearer, regardless of his departure he never short changed anyone whilst he was here.

[roverandout]

I get the impression when he says 'flattered' comes across as someone whose not really that enamoured with it

[K-Hod]

I get the impression when he says 'flattered' comes across as someone whose not really that enamoured with it

I must admit that is always exactly the impression I got. The timing seems odd tbh, and the gesture while nice, I'm just unsure where it's come from....

In any event, he's one of my favourite ever players for the club and his contribution to this club is immeasurable. What a player.

[Mike Graham]

Great idea.

Well done Blackburn Council.

[Gav]

I'm all for things like this..a celebration of our success as a town club.

Our History is simply magnificent.

P.S.

Don't forget that the population of Blackburn itself is only some 105,000.

Couldn't agree more, we should have another bronze statue or two done to celebrate wining the Premiership in my opinion.

I remember when this sort of thing was the only thing we had to complain about, not enough statues celebrating our achievements.....

Makes you bloody weep.

[m1st]

Don't get me wrong it's a fine idea - no AL no PL quite simple.

But weren't we all a bit Jilted john when he left and bitter and not very magnanimous with it? A road named after him soon after his departure then might have been called the Iscariot Interstate...

I don't post very often on here these days, and this may be out of tenor with a lot of the posts I used to make; but I totally agree with this. I have a number of friends in Newcastle who follow their big city team and ever since Shearer left us so suddenly, I've referred to him in conversation with them as "Iscariot; the Newcastle No. 9".

Remind me again; how close to the start of the season was it before he decamped to his home town team? And remind me again; how many trophies did they win while he was playing for them?

[Leonard Venkhater]

I don't post very often on here these days, and this may be out of tenor with a lot of the posts I used to make; but I totally agree with this. I have a number of friends in Newcastle who follow their big city team and ever since Shearer left us so suddenly, I've referred to him in conversation with them as "Iscariot; the Newcastle No. 9".

Remind me again; how close to the start of the season was it before he decamped to his home town team? And remind me again; how many trophies did they win while he was playing for them?Se

Settled then. Statue of a man hanging from a redbud tree!

[onlyonejackwalker]

Nothing lasts forever. Whilst here he was dynamite. I'm sure there's already estates named after Rovers greats.

Of course we should celebrate our achievements. Constant reminder to current players of our history and the people who contributed and lasting respect for those who help make a club. But then again I've never booed Shearer.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Couldn't agree more, we should have another bronze statue or two done to celebrate wining the Premiership in my opinion.

I remember when this sort of thing was the only thing we had to complain about, not enough statues celebrating our achievements.....

Makes you bloody weep.

A statue of Shearer and Sutton holding the Prem Trophy aloft...right next to Jack,simply perfect.

There you go Mr Myers,another free idea for you.