Hmmm....Rio Ferdinand got an eight month ban for stupidly missing a drug test because he forgot about it and went shopping instead. Ben Thatcher, a guy with a history of violence on the field, gets what....a six week ban? shouldn't be much more...for a pre-mediated assault on a player which could have easily caused permanent damage and put him in hospital. Am I the only one who thinks that is potty?

It seems to be the kind of thing that happens in football...just doesn't usually come out. Agents are swarming everywhere in football and if a club wants to buy from abroad they don't seem to have much choice. Or even in the UK it seems. Look at Kewell's transfer from Leeds to Liverpool for a recent example, not that there was supposed to be any bungs involved as such. Just a huge chunk of the fee going to the agent. Think a 'bung' would have to be a bit less transparent. However, thanks to the hush-hush nature of football in general, all the way up to the Premier League and the FA, it's rare anything comes out. They've had Football Task Forces set in place and even had some PC employed at the FA to investigate it yet it was just for show to make it appear they were up to anything - in fact the detective complained that clubs constantly refused to let them see anything. There might be talk about wanting to deal with bungs but in reality nothing much ever happens, maybe another toothless tiger will be set up with some useless non-football gobsh1te along the lines of David Mellor in charge.

Wasn't it philipl who declared that having a fit David Dunn was vital to England's hopes of winning the 2006 World Cup?

That article sounds like a 'Come back and get me this time' plea from Dunn. If I was a Birmingham fan I wouldn't be too happy after all the time he has spent on the couch while being paid by them. Then again, if I was a Birmingham fan I'd never deserve to be happy! Dunn - "I am a Blackburn fan, everyone knows that, and I think in the future maybe I would fancy it. "The biggest thing for me is that I'm a bit of a home bird. I'm down here all week on my own, I would like to be back up near my family at some point, certainly near my little girl. "If you put anyone in that position, I think they would understand. It wouldn't be a financial thing, it wouldn't be a football thing, it would be purely and simply to be near my family and daughter. "Not that I wanted to go when they came in. I wasn't trying to make it happen and I do want to stress I'm totally focused here at Birmingham. "The transfer didn't come off, so I'm not really too worried about it. NO! Of course you aren't David... "I would be lying if I said I didn't find it flattering, but it's over, past." Translation into its basic meaning - "I want to play for Rovers!"

Red Bull Salzburg needed a last minute equalizer in their match at Rapid Vienna yesterday, although Vienna were down to ten men. It means that Salzburg are still four points clear in the league and unbeaten... It's gonna be a tough match, we are playing a team full of confidence. Come on Rovers Austria Bundesliga results

Rovers finished bottom of the fair play league in the previous two seasons and are leading it again by some distance once again this term...is that all down to some big conspiracy against little old Rovers? Expected better of you Philipl. The reason Rovers have been poor so far this season is down to themselves. Why try to blame refs?

You sound like you've been drinking yourself there Philip.

Don't worry Rev...if we do go down you can at least be happy and say "I told you so!".

Either that a Scouse s***house...one of the two!

Blackburn may be a dump...but thankfully the surrounding towns are worse so we still have some people to look down on!

Can the drummers do 'La Bamba'?

Either that or there is some kind of Drummers In Need Action Group which rushes to the aid of any bangers of the cymbals that find theirselves in dire straits.

No to one triallist Yes to another... Link above says that Hughes has decided against signing the Ghanaian we had on loan but, according to the player, Gomaa will be Walking Like an Egyptian into Ewood in January. Where has unleaded gone? Isn't he usually into posting all this kind of stuff?

Whether Liverpool come back in for him or not, I still think he's likely to wait and see what offers come his way in January. Besides, I think his agent has already said he wants to move on.

Doubt he will sign it knowing that if he sits tight he will be a Liverpool player soon enough, with a nice signing-on fee and good wages too. It'll be nice to proved wrong though...

Don't think this has been posted but according to this guy we have already sorted out our first signing in the January transfer window.. Gomaa makes Rovers claim

Hughes has high hopes for Nonda Well...that's good then!

Seriously...you should go into politics. Couldn't there be some way to get some of the more vocal fans to link in with the drummers? There's been many a song cut off just as it was beginning with a THUD, THUD...does BRISA contain many of the louder singers in the BBE? Maybe a bit of choreography is needed. They certainly do it in Italy, the Ultras get the fans working together to help boost the atmosphere. That said, probably goes a bit far at Lazio with all the Mussolini salutes (lovingly recreated by Di Canio when he was there) and bizarre Aryan warriors/Nordic Gods they have on their huge flags.

It'd be a nice change from drumming while Ewood snores.

What on earth are you going on about?

After seeing all the empty seats I didn't think it would've been anywhere near 56,000 on the ground. There was only 45,000 on for the Greece game however. As for Ewood...the locals go barmy when anyone so much as parks on their street for a Rovers match so I guess they'd be a bit touchy for a England match too! It's still an improvement on the new Scottish pub in Blackburn...The Flying Haggis!

Wasn't their old ground called Eastville? Or did people call it both - like West Ham's home ground is Boleyn Ground but some call it Upton Park, after the area?

Why did they bother having the Andorra game at Old Trafford? It's obvious we'd never sell out the game there so why not have it at a smaller venue? Guess our cow shed end rules out Rovers for an international... That said, they played at Pride Park and even Portman Road once (unless I'm mistaken) so why not Ewood?

The thing is though...they aren't any good. There's no subtlety to their drumming, no variety...it's just THUD, THUD, THUD. Tris didn't like the poll option for them having lessons/drum in time...but they could do with some. They also need to be told that they are not the attraction, Rovers are. That means the drummer doesn't have to get involved with every chant that starts. Less is more sometimes. If they banged their drums a wee bit more sparingly it would actually work a lot better. To my mind there is no doubt that they sometimes contribute to the worsening of the atmosphere at Ewood Park. Sometimes it's so annoying that sitting in silence would be aural heaven in comparison. I've nothing against the guys who do seem totally commited to Rovers but they could do with a bit of fine-tuning and for them to realise that milking it ain't the way to go.

We can spend it in the January transfer window if need be. With Nonda, Benni, Roberts, Jeffers, Gallagher and Derbyshire all still at the club I don't think it will affects us one bit.