Andy Gray is one of the best and has also stuck up for Rovers when need be. Amazed to hear people don't rate him, similarly Martin Tyler. Charlie Nicholas is another who knows his stuff. Steve Claridge is one of the least informed of the pundits. Seems to have a dislike for us as well, almost as bad as Rodney Marsh was in that respect. Lawro is an idiot but we kind of expect that by now, along with his atrocious jokes and Lineker's dodgy puns.' I'll go for Phil Thompson however as the biggest twerp on the telly. As for commentators...Jonathon Pearce's style just seems to be to talk up every incident as if it is of global importance rather than just a throw-in to West Ham or a goal-kick to Bolton. Just doesn't work on the TV, unlike the radio as I used to like him when he just commentated on games for Capital Gold in the London area.

Nolan has been excellent this season and deserves a chance in the squad. Big Sam has been excellent for Bolton. Who'd have thought that when he went there he'd make the Trotters residents in the top part of the table and challenging for a Champions League place, especially seeing as Bolton were debt-ridden when he took over. Personally I'd think he'd do a good job as England coach, especially with Pearce alongside as Assistant. It'd also have the added bonus of giving a severe knock to the ambitions of our friendly rivals from Horwich. Out of the English managers Big Sam with Pearce is about the best option.

Seem to remember there being a bit of scuffling inside Ewood during the return leg if I'm not mistaken.

Is that as in profit the club makes, e.g. after admin costs etc or is that the average price a seat is paid for? The latter would mean the club makes even less than that I presume as it still has its own part in the transaction to be paid for out of that ticket price.

1. Of course it would have been harsh, but we have had just as harsh penalties against us before. 2. If that was a Rovers forward we'd have expected him to do better. So it was a bit of luck as well as a good stop from Brad from a weak finish but the Mackem. 3. I don't know why anyone would think we weren't the better team yesterday. Even when not at our best we have for too much for the likes of Sunderland. This Dingle was more than happy to have lost though, must be used to it from his time down at t'turd... Ball delighted despite defeat[

One of the largest away followings in recent times must have been for this game. Free buses or cheap tickets - I can't remember which - meant a huge convoy of coaches stretching back for what seemed to be a mile on the way to Hillsbrough. Don't remember too much about the game, but I think Cole scored his first goal for us. After a 2-0 lead Wednesday got one back through, I think, Ekoku. Mostly I remember the Sheff Wed fans nearest to us constantly trying to wind us up. They seemed more interested in that rather than the match. There was also some rumours of a bit of trouble outside the ground (the away fans seemed to walk straight into the home fans from the next stand on the way back to the coaches) but I didn't see any. A great night when it was a great time to be a Rovers fan. Even the press liked us then for our swashbuckling gung-ho attacking style.

Rovers now have the joint third best home record in the league this season. They have averaged 2.33 points per home game. This has only been bettered by Liverpool (with 2.47) and Chelsea (2.87). Football365 Home Stats

Well there were two moments when we rode our luck a little...the shout for the penalty when Lucas handled in the box would have been harsh but we've seen them given before for less this season. Also, a better, more confident striker may have punished us when they had a one-on-one against Brad. Great save by the American though as he made himself as big as he could and left little of the goal to aim for. Overall though we were the better side, particularly in the first half. Reid was excellent and he has the pace which we lack when others play in the centre. Didn't think Emerton was quite as bad as people were saying although Dickov and Kuqi offered very little. A good three points will do just fine. Hopefully we are saving our better performances for when we really will need them.

I read in an interview piece with Duff that he was on 70,000 a week basic when he first moved to Chelsea. That was a few years and he may even be on subststantially more by now. Rovers cannot compete with that, nor should they. As for MGP - it's all hypothetical but ultimately it is up to Hughes. Would he prefer to have money to spend on new players or MGP?

I'm just sick and tired of people complaining about others not going. Really I can't see how saying people are lazy for not going will get them to start going again. It's counter-productive IMO. Anyway...let's forget it, been done to death Sunderland to look forward to!

The two posts above relate to transfer fees only of Bellamy and Benni. When wages, bonuses and signing-on fees are factored into the deal it would probably be closer to 10million! Admittedly it's worth it for Bellamy and if he does leave we should be handsomely compensated but for any transfer of such ambition in the future then Rovers have to be careful. The money wasted on the likes of Grabbi, Davies, Ward was such a missed opportunity. To a lesser extent, the money squandered on the likes of Jansen and Cole , who cost over 10million between them but we ended up letting go for nothing, hurt a bit too. Jansen and Cole at least were great in parts for Rovers but they still ultimately cost a fortune. If we are to spend big in the future, then we need to make sure it is worth it. Hughes got it spot on last summer however and right now he seems to be on a winning streak...

Jeez - the 'Big Club' fans can't even come up with their own chant. Not good enough from a 'Big Club' really that. Think it was either West Ham or Man City who came up with that response a good decade or so ago.

I agree but until the exiled fans start going to the games it's a bit hypocritcial to be having go at other fans for not going.

thenodrog makes some fair points on here and on the 'Boro thread as Rovers can do with all the help they can get. However, as I'm not a 'rich ex-pat' then paying for someone else's season ticket would be too expensive. Especially if they are just too lazy to work. Why can't they pay it? Sponsoring a kid to go might be an idea but why can't the parents pay? If it was a genuinely needy cause, either a kid or maybe an older fan who can't go to games, there could be a fund set up perhaps? It's not so much how much each could pay necessarily, as each person would only able to pay differently, at least it would mean we could contribute. Some kind of package set up by the club, with maybe DVDs or programmes and newsletters, being sent out would be an even better idea. Really I dislike this 'charity' approach to the club. They should be trying to get income from the ex-pats. The management and the board and are paid very heavily to do this. Maybe this is an issue BRISA could look into? I'd like to contribute and pay for some kind of service if possible.

Completely agree. The Premiership just left us to it rather than wanting to deal with it themselves.

Stead on his way back? Rumours are that Huddersfield want the former England Under-21 striker back. Is there anyone left who now doesn't agree with Hughes for selling Stead?

Hopefully after us being more than accomodating yet again to Liverpool FC they will be loaning us more of the likes of Pongolle in the future and less Babbels. In fact, we should really be asking them for players every year from now on. For some reason Liverpool games always seem to be being moved about. If not for Sky then because of the Grand National. Didn't we also move a game in the season first came back up? We ended up moving it from a time when we on a great run and subsequently lost it 4-3 or something. Heskey even scored I remember! As he liked to against us. Rovers were in a tough spot with this one. Even looking after their own fans would seem like they are thinking of football above a tragedy, even if it wasn't the fault of BRFC. We've been shafted but at least we emerged with all the credit, unlike Parry and LFC board. Just a shame for any fans (and some Liverpool fans may have been messed about too) who lose out because of it.

Well in that case surely all the home-based fans could do it as well? All they do at the moment is pay for a service from Rovers. Just like I do when I am back in the area by going to the games and stocking up on the merchandise. Would the season ticket holders also be willing to pay that over and above their season tickets? I'm not going to just give money to a business that has a turnover of over 40million and pays its management the best part of half a million pounds each just for the hell of it. If they, as a business, want to try and arrange some package for fans who can't get to the games then I would be very interested. Why should it be "a priviledge and a duty" for overseas fans to give money away when nobody at home does? Good shout from Rev, hey even Cletus' sounds like a good cause - bit more sensible then this charity option. There are already charities I do pay into and they sure as hell don't pay their Italian past-it employees not doing anything 20k a week.

Fair enough but other than just philanthropy there would have to be something back. Home-based fans get to go to all the games...if there could be something arranged for the ex-pat fans it would be interesting. You're suggesting charity though as your use of 'donating' makes clear. As much as I like Rovers I don't think I should be giving them money for nothing. They are not a charity and if I was in need they would do bugger all for me. Maybe some kind of scheme in which overseas fans were sent programmes and merchandise/newsletters could be explored though.

Dave - my reply wasn't about you. As can be seen by the last bit where I mentioned that you were just saying what you...er...just said back to me. Actually Rev was wrong to use as an excuse to air his remarks but nonetheless his remarks were spot on. There are however some ex-pats on here who bemoan about the locals not going and suggest that if they only lived nearer then they would go every week. Well...that's not a lot of use is it? It is those who are complaining about others for not going while similaraly not going themselves that I thought have no right to crtiticise others as after all everyone has an excuse not to go. It wasn't aimed at you so no need to defend your point whatsover. You were correct. So while I was agreeing with Rev's points I wasn't including you in them. Everyone who doesn't go has an excuse. Plenty. They still don't go though and one excuse isn't much better than another for Rovers. They still don't sell that empty seat. Just because someone doesn't go doesn't me they aren't a "real fan" or a "proper fan" but it does mean they shouldn't have a go at other fans who also don't go. I don't go much, I'm a 'real' fan but I don't think it would be right of me to criticise others who don't go for whatever reason. PS - I could find some of those posts from overseas members if I wished (and there isn't that many) as I remember a view of them and who posted them but I've no desire to have any personal attacks. None were from you though, that wasn't a point I was making

Excellent post. There is nothing more annoying to read on here than an ex-pat trotting out the tired old line "If I could, I'd love to be at Rovers every game...". To which my response would be "well you can't, so shut up you windbag". It is almost as annoying as the "Blackburn doesn't deserve a Premiership team." Why not? If we win enough points to remain in the league then why shouldn't we have as much right as any other team to be there...since when were attendances the be-all and end-all? I'm thousands of miles away and so can't make it to Ewood. Yet why on earth does that give me the right to have a go at those who are nearer but also choose not to go? As the saying goes...either put up or shut up. I can't put up in this case so if comes to criticising the locals then I shut up. Hell...the last time I saw Rovers was only last month but I still don't think it is right of me at this time to blame other people for not going when I don't either. To be fair to Dave Birch though - he was just stating that with thousands of spare seats it isn't the fault of those who do go, be they businessmen, labourers, workers or even millionaires!

Not really. Qualifying for Europe has always signalled a poor run for the club in Europe. We have been absolute tripe when playing in Europe with a consistentcy that is remarkably impressive. We won the title in the same season as (briefly and humilatingly) being in the Uefa Cup. 2002-2003 saw us play four games in the Uefa Cup and still finish sixth. So it's not quite so clear-cut as that. Frankly I'd just like to see us win a few games in Europe for once. That'd cheer me up no end. EDIT - On another note, this Villa fan isn't too happy... "We are a bigger club than Blackburn and we have a better squad. We should be doing better than they are but we wont with David O'Leary." Awww...diddums. Sorry Blackburn 2 Aston Villa 0: One less positive for David O'Leary

So we shouldn't look at players in relegated teams but should be looking for quality players of the likes of Bellamy and Bentley? Bellamy was relegated when at Coventry and last year Bentley was in the Norwich side that went down. Didn't make them bad players. No reason to believe they aren't good enough just because their team was relegated. Arca, Pennant, Dunn, Forsell, Matthew (not Martin) Taylor, Kirkland and Gera would all be worth considering, as no doubt would be others I can't remember now. While Upson has plenty of pace he has had plenty of injuries. With Zurab, Todd and Nelsen already here I'm not sure we need another center back. At least not as much as some other positions need filling. Ultimately though...we need a striker. All other positions can wait until that is sorted.

It had been fifty nine years since the last time we had won a major cup...and to be honest on this day we still hadn't won a major cup. Never mind though...it felt like it was! The Full Members Cup victory meant a return to Wembley for the first time since the Cup final debacle of 1960. That had been a disaster from before final day (ticket fiasco), on the morning of the game (star striker Dougan handing in a transfer request), during the game (3-0 thrashing with an own goal to boot) and after the game (Dave Whelan's football career lay in ruins). If ever there is a new forum created named 'Hell, I'm in Hell.....' then that should probably be the first entry. Instead we had a cup run which saw us beating Huddersfield United, Sheffield United, Oxford United(first division then), Chelsea(ditto) before sweeping aside Ipswich Town 3-0 at Ewood in the semi-final. So...to Wembley. The game wasn't actually much kop really. Dull, although we had the better of proceedings I felt (although this might be bias as our keeper, Vince O'Keefe, was named Man of the Match) and our fans were certainly the most vocal. Unsurprising really as top flight Charlton could only bring about 8,000 of their fans along. It's not as if it was too far to go either.... Then it happened. The moment. The thing I'd been waiting for. After 84 minutes...I needed the toilet. Thinking I'd be able to rush it quickly and so be back well in time for the inevitable extra half hour and penalties if need be(they were quite a new introduction then so I was quite looking forward to seeing them). The fizzy pop my dad had bought me had caused this need so I left my nice blue Wembley seat (we'd actually paid for the cheaper rubbishy red ones at the front with holes in them but there had been plenty of spare seats) and as I was in the toilet I heard a surge of voices from the Rovers fans. As quick as I finished and as quick as my little legs ran all I saw was Rovers fans jumping up and cheering. I'd missed the goal. Gutted. Aparently Windy Miller had raced down the right wing and sent over a cross the Charlton keeper couldn't deal before the new Blonde Bombshell striker from Dundee FC, Colin Hendry, swept the ball in. The Rovers winner at Wembley...and I'd missed it, Oh well that's life...I didn't miss seeing Glenn Keeley lift up the trophy and then dropping the thing on the way down. Later that week - a large gathering of Roverites to welcome back our victorious team at a Town Hall Reception. It was only the Full Members Cup...but we were still oh so grateful! To read more I wrote a little article on Rovers in the Full Member Cup - The Full Members' Cup. If I ever get the spare time I'll try to update that section of the site. The Rovers team that day was… Vince o’Keefe, Chris Price, Chris Sulley, Glenn Keeley, David Mail, Scott Sellars, Simon Barker, Alan Ainscow, Ian Miller, Simon Garner and Colin Hendry. Mark Patterson came on as a substitute for Sellars and Jim Branagan was the unfortunate unused substitute Below is a picture of the Rovers contingent at Wembley going...well...a bit barmy!

We are looking ahead but personally I think the next four games will make or break where we finish. Three very winnable home games and away to the worst team in the league. We should be hoping for ten points from those. If that happens we will be in the race for the fourth spot until the end. Knowing Rovers though...