Hi all, With a heavy heart I have decided to sell most of my Rovers items I have accumulated across the years. I have put a thread in the for sale and wanted forum, but wanted to draw attention to it here as I know it is not that used anymore, and wanted to offer you fine supporters the chance to take a look before it goes on any auction site. the listing I started following the Rovers as a football mad ten year old back in 1994. Hailing from Stafford, Wolves were originally my team, but they didn't quite do it for me, and having flirted with being a Norwich fan (due to their UEFA cup run in 93), I found the Rovers. You might think, how can you just choose a team like that? I'm sure it helped that we were well on the way to success in the Premier League, but it was Tim Flowers and a certain 90s goalkeeper shirt that made me fall in love with all things Rovers. The 90s were all about the shirts for me - I lived in them. What fantastically garish designs, particularly the goalkeeper shirts. I loved that shirt, and was gutted when I couldn't get it. Thanks to the internet, I now have it as one of my prized possessions all these years later (and is certainly not for sale!) https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lancs.live%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Ffootball-news%2Ftim-flowers-blackburn-premier-league-18140251&psig=AOvVaw3AerLGukHJUmoNQSBguXCg&ust=1704115306165000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBIQjRxqFwoTCPDF_a_iuYMDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD My dad, an old Gunner hailing from Woolwich, supported me in this developing passion for Rovers, and took me to my first game against Arsenal at Ewood in 1996/97. Sadly Ian Wright was too hot that day, but my love affair was well and truly in place by now, and we journeyed up the M6 many more times over the years, spending great time together at a great club. Dad also grew to become a fan, loving how much of a family club Rovers was. He always commented on how friendly everyone was who worked there or who answered the phones. As I was going through my collection, I had great nostalgia for all of the players and teams I have seen over the years. What players who have graced this famous shirt, and some great teams. Whilst I just missed out on the Title winning team, the 2000/01 team and the 06/07 and 07/08 Hughes teams made me proud to be a Rover. Although I was an outsider, not from Blackburn, I felt like one of you everytime I set foot in Ewood, and it was an absolute pleasure for both of us every time we came to Ewood - thank you. And then 2010 happened. Venky's and Kean literally ruined my passion for football. If we lost, it used to ruin my weekends. I hurt with you all, feeling helpless from afar. And then I became apathetic, and I've never got it back. They killed the club I fell in love with, the one my dad also adopted as his own, and I've just learned to not care, to do something else at weekends. I've also grown up and have 3 children of my own now, so finding something else to do at weekends is easy. I see the results, smile if we win, and shrug if we lose, before moving on. It's been great to see the club get back to some sort of standing since those dark days, but it still hurts to know that the club I chose no longer really exists in my eyes. It's a shell of its former self. I always wondered how my dad could choose to support another team (I felt that I could never do that), but then I realised that he did it for me and for the time together, knowing that he couldn't get to Arsenal that easily, living where we did anyway. Sadly, I can't make it to Ewood easily now anyway, and that time together is not there anymore, having lost dad to Motor Neurone Disease in 2019. I now consider myself a bit of a football Nomad. I rarely watch it, and the 2 minute Rovers highlights don't really give me enough to create any passion. I have a bit of a void in me there. I will always support Rovers, they will always be my team, but I shall be letting my children pick their own team, and I hope that, like my dad, I can find some passion in football again through their chosen path, whatever that may be. So that is why my collection is for sale. I hope to raise some funds for a family holiday as well as continue to support the MNDa charity, and hopefully, give something back to Rovers supporters as well. I truly hope that Rovers, this once great club that I adopted as my own, can move on in the future, and become what it was before. Keep flying the blue flag - you deserve it for still being here. Thank you for making me and dad feel so welcome over the years. Great memories that I cherish. Happy New Year to you all. COYB

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB8Lff Majority of my collection over the years for sale - decided that it is no use sat in a box not seeing the light of day. All are now on eBay, but I am open to reasonable offers if it means I don't have to pay the eBay fees. Likewise, if you are after multiple items, a deal is there to be struck. Beyond the shirts/clothing, I have different bits of memorabilia acquired over the years as well through various means, including all of my programmes - not sure if there is a market for these - but again, no point them being sat in a box. All items listed below. All shirts in VGC or excellent condition for age except those with added detail in listing. All in age order. Send me a message and we can discuss. 93/94 Asics away, size XL with #8 Gallacher. Some clicks but in VGC given age and material type 00/01 Kappa away with #9 Hughes, Size L. This shirt is immaculate, with Nationwide patches and correct nameset print. 01/02 Kappa away with #11 Duff, size L. 02/03 Kappa Goalkeeper with #1 Friedel, size L. This is brand new with tags, unworn in original bag. 02/03 Kappa home with #9 Cole, size M. Has two signatures on - one I think is Grabbi, not sure of the other. 03/04 Kappa away, size L with #21 Baggio. Sponsor is a bit sticky on this one due to age. 03/04 Kappa prototype away shirt, size L. Picked up from when fans could vote from a selection for the next shirts. 04/05 Lonsdale away, size XL with #4 Amoruso. Nameset is vinyl but number is flock replacement (can see a bit of the old number on the right of the replacement) 06/07 Lonsdale home, size L with #10 McCarthy. Fake adidas two stripes have stuck together a bit (see photos) and nameset is a replica, not an official EPL one. Lonsdale really did make crap shirts! 07/08 or 08/09 Umbro away, red and black. no sponsor, size M. Don't really know the history of this one, but has the european numberset on it. 07/08 Umbro away, red and black, size L with #4 Samba. Nameset had two applied by mistake, so first one is peeling off to leave the 2nd underneath. 07/08 Umbro home, size XL, with #5 Tugay. European nameset and UEFA cup sleeve patch. Signed by someone - looks like number 14, which would have been Steven Reid. 08/09 Umbro away with #8 Dunn, size M. (seems smaller than the Tugay one) 09/10 Umbro away, long sleeve, size L, with #19 Villanueva Various bits of memorabilia including Rovers Die-cast vehicles, Parker pen and pencil, Artey mascot, Army Swing CD(!), notepad holder and bottlestop/corkscrew in presentation box. Also, former players association league winners commemorative medal from 2015 Programmes from 1996/97 season through to 2015.

Have to say that I think the standard of goalkeeping presently is the worst I have seen in my time watching football. We at Rovers have been blessed over the years/decades with some terrific keepers whose only job was to keep the ball out of the net. The likes of Jones, Bradshaw, Gennoe, Arnold, Flowers , Robinson, and of course Friedel. Kaminski also deserves a mention.. Now you are likely to see a keeper make a mistake or two in every game which ends up costing a goal. What do people think, has the last 20 years or so seen standards drop ?

Wishing all our readers & contributors the happiest Christmas…have a great holiday & stay match-fit for Tuesday ! 😉 🎄🎅🤶🎁🥳

4 wins in the last 15 league games at Ewood. 1 point gained from losing positions at Ewood since March 2022. How do we turn it around?

The game is soft these days, but who wouldn't you like getting on the wrong side of? JRC loves a challenge and Travis is always getting involved, but both seem fairly lightweight and the latter can be quite cowardly at times though that's part of his bantz. Hyam seems too nice, we thinking between Carter or Tronstad?

So, we are now half way through what can only be described as a curates egg of a season so far. Perceived improvement in on field performances have not yielded the points the team have probably deserved for various reasons, mainly due to a lack of strength in depth, coupled with a crippling injury list. To date, only the top 4 have won more games than Rovers, whilst only the bottom 3 have lost more, a statistic that perfectly sums up where we are as a team. Of the 7 summer signings , only Sondre Tronstad of the permanent signings has really added to the team, to me he just pips Szmodics to player of the season so far, just down to his consistency of performance, he was excellent again yesterday. Sigurdsson has shown flashes of what he can do and I am pleased we have signed him permanently, Ennis I feel will prove to be a decent signing if he can stay injury free and get a good pre season behind him in the Summer. Leo to me seems to have the makings of a good keeper, but needs to cut out the odd mistake that has cost us. Telalovic we just don't know, could probably do with a loan away to get some game time and have a proper look at him. Of the 2 loans, Hill has been a quality signing, albeit looking in need of a rest recently, while Moran, has ability but seems lightweight to me. So there we are, a mixed bag as ever with this team. Better than last season though n my opinion without the results to prove it. Last season there really were some horror performances, notably Preston at home and Burnley away along with s few more where we just didn't turn up. This season. I can only think of Southampton last week where we were really poor and deserved what we got Overall marks out of 10 6.5

After all the disgruntled fans complaining about the high prices and that of neighbours being substantially lower, I'd be interested to hear what fans think we'll be seeing next season.

Looks like the sacking season has started in the Championship. Sunderland have sacked Mogga and Swansea ditched Duff last night

Hope this is ok with the Mods..... I just think the closure of the Blackburn End against Cardiff next week is such a red line being crossed that it merits its own thread. This week's home game against Sunderland is the last only real opportunity to make it clear to Waggott that it is totally not acceptable. What a kick in the teeth to JDT and the players this is aswell as all supporters. Whilst I don't sit in the Blackburn End, surely this cannot be accepted without a fight and I hope they verbally give him both barrels before, during and after the game. How on earth he can have even come up with the idea, let alone have the nerve to implement it is beyond belief. It shows the utter contempt he has for those supporters in the Blackburn End and how sure he is that they do not have it in them to even object. I sincerely this isn't accepted by anyone.......I do not know of the Home End being shut ever before in a competitive fixture and hope to god this is made crystal clear to him on Wednesday evening.

Considering the fact that Gregg Broughton has been very active since his arrival in tying important players down to longer contracts, does anyone else find it revealing that Sam Gallaghers contract is up in the Summer (albeit with a 12 month club option), and that nothing has been heard about talks being ongoing ? Think it only spells one thing tbh, Rovers will be looking to move him on whilst they can get a reasonable fee for him,and considering the season he's having at the moment it's hard to blame them

an overview of Blackburn Rovers’ victory over Stoke City https://gloucestergroundho.wixsite.com/gloucester-groundhop/post/bet-365-stadium-stoke-city

I think the best keeper we've ever had deserves a thread of his own. Absolutely won us the League Cup with his superhuman abilities as well as many more games. Undisputable that he was the best around for a good couple of years.

Starting this thread because there is A LOT of chat about him in the forum's before during and after every game. Can we post some strengths? He gets to play a lot of games so JDT sees something in him ?

Remembering James Crabtree. Rovers Goal Keeper,decorated Soldier and Rudolph Hess Personel Jailer...what a story tinged with sadness. https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-11-10/blackburn-goalkeeper-who-went-on-to-to-serve-in-both-world-wars

Another year out on loan, perhaps the most successful, 4 goals in his last 5 from centre-back! He's had loan spells at Cambridge, Lincoln, Bury and Northampton since the age of 19. Funny stat is that he got a League Winners medal with Bury for League Two in 2018/19, but also a runners up medal with Lincoln for the same league in the same season! Having played 15 and 11 games for each club respectively. Just what do we do with a lad like Scott Wharton? He's due back at the end of the season, he'll be 22. Do we think he's good enough to be a squad player for us? Or is it simply too little too late?

Should he stay or should he go? There are rumours today that Bradley Dack has fallen out with JDT and could be sold in January. Bad news or good business?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fc23012e-afa8-4d9c-8f64-fcdc68dc7194?shareToken=0b991d8aa520050ff0051c4018d656c0

Given our lack of ‘cutting edge’ would anyone try having a second central striker? Maybe something along the lines of… Leo Hill. Carter. Hyam. Pickering Tronstad JRC. Wharton A Sammie Ennis. Leonard.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ranking-blackburn-rovers-last-7-managers-including-tomasson-from-worst-to-best-gary-bowyer-3rd/#gary-bowyer Interesting article. Still deciding my rankings but thought it might instigate a lively debate.

So what rating would people give the summer window out of 10, of course allowing for the limited exposure to the 4 foreign signings? I think in net, that makes sense in regards to the model, albeit Pears shouldnt be first choice. Player sold, player with decent credentials brought in. Defensively, I think we are short. We only have 3 full backs so not only are we light, but we reduce/remove any scope to move Rankin Costello. At centre back, we needed experience, we signed a highly rated loanee, hopefully he will do well but he isnt what we need. So not good there. In midfield, Tronstad gives us experience albeit a slow start. Buckley leaving means we have 3 main options and Garrett pushing. We have gone from being strong there to looking thin again, needlessly. In attacking midfield, Sigurdsson and Moran are exciting additions. We have lost our top scorer from this area though, a blow people underestimate. We also lack a quick winger and behind them 2, Szmodics and Hedges, minimal quality. Up top, we have made a couple of gambles, needs must. The lad today is hopefully an uncut gem although will need to adapt having been playing in the German 4th league. Ennis I like the look of but no use sat on a physio bed. I think the calls were for experience, Tomasson kept mentioning it, and Broughton kept mentioning it, he said we have to maintain the average age and that we cant bring in 21 year olds to replace the likes of Ayala and Dack. Well, we did, so thats a failing that is out of Broughton's control 3 or 4 out of 10 for me.

I just wondered what everyone's thoughts on the Saudi Pro League are? In a time when we're suffering from a cost of living crisis and ordinary people are struggling to put food on the table - we have veterans of the 'working man's game' earning absolute obscene amounts of money. Jordan Henderson will be earning £69 for every minute of every day whether he's awake or asleep. Cristiano Ronaldo will be earning £326 per minute (£3.3m per week). Presumably this is completely unsustainable and just the mega rich (most likely rich through questionable means) throwing money around like it's going out of fashion. Players like Jordan Henderson are comfortable abandoning his beliefs when offered £700k a week. Who can blame him? I've said for years that one day a big name player will retire at a very young age as it's like they've won the lottery. You only need a certain personality that isn't really interested in football to earn a lot of money at a young age for this to happen. Most of these players going to Saudi are players past their best getting one last pay day. But it won't be long before a big name youngster makes the move, pockets a huge amount of cash and then retires in his mid-20s. David Bentley retired at the age of 29 - you wonder if he'd have made the money early in his career in the Saudi League whether he'd have quit earlier. I'm not a particular fan of the Premier League and how money has completely taken over it (and made it uncompetitive for most) - but I just think the Saudi League is further ruining football. I for one won't be paying any attention to it. Player wages are killing the game and until clubs start to control them (Rovers last accounts showed we paid 147% of our turnover on wages - this wouldn't happen in the real world) it'll just get worse. I also watch Rugby League and the salary cap has at least made it more competitive in general - but you've still only had 3 grand final winners in 17 years - so I'm not even sure that is the answer. FFP hasn't helped at all in football either. The days of a Jack Walker coming in and taking his local club to glory are also long gone. No actual supporter can afford the sums of money these Saudi owners can put on. All the extra money is just going towards making the players richer and richer. I certainly don't love the game as much as I did when my dad first took me as a kid in the 90s. It's also hard when taking my son to a 2/3 empty stadium watching a team that struggles to compete. He'd have loved going during the peak days of the 90s/00's. I started writing this topic at 9:05am and I've made £8.40 in that time. Ronaldo has earned more than £6,500. Top 10 earners in Saudi Pro League: https://www.givemesport.com/the-10-highest-paid-players-in-the-saudi-league-next-season-ft-ronaldo-benzema-firmino/#jordan-henderson---al-ettifaq

Hope this isn't behind the paywall https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b3e01fac-69e6-11ee-853b-c0bf92ce36b1?shareToken=f48356a420b77baf9b27bb98a196c7a8

Wahls, Still Wearing away kit Hilly, Still not updated Aaaaand Telalo. Still not updated aswell It's not because they didn't take their profile photo yet. They've got their one, already! as you can see in this... also this is off topic but why aren't they selling third keeper kit i cant even search of it

Scunthorpe https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/2023/september/club-update/ Sheffield Wednesday Dejphon Chansiri: Sheffield Wednesday owner says he will stop funding club after 'insults' - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66958019