My dad died the night before our first match of the season. I agreed with my family to go as we all knew that is what he would have wanted. I couldn't face sitting in my usual seat that day as too raw but at half time I went to see the regulars to let them know. Maybe I should have asked the club to postpone the match instead?

Agree with your first point. There is too much performative 'grief' over deaths such as these. Seemed to all start with Princess Diana. People die all the time and life goes on. However, to then launch an offensive take on the individual's death is out of order - and undermines the totally reasonable point of view you started with. FFS the car had a tyre blow out. From what I've read that's all we know for certain. Having experienced one of those myself at 70mph I was bloody lucky that nothing hit me as I span across two lanes and into the central barrier. Do I think players today are overpaid and not sensible with that money? In many cases yes...but someone's death is possibly not the best time to make that point?

Doesn't that depend on how big the hole is? 😉

Just shows the lack of local connection in the club nowadays I suppose? You couldn't imagine us having a white rose anywhere near our kit under the likes of Bill Fox, etc. Reminds of when my wife-to-be (now ex) wanted all the blokes at our wedding to wear white roses. When I refused and said I would only wear a red one she thought I was being daft - until she spoke to her dad, my dad and her brother-in-law. They all backed me 100% and she had to give in!

The peasants have always been revolting 😉

BIg Club's first away game - will have large following. Wait for club announcement we're giving them the Riverside as well 😉

Though I hate to say it the two most-disliked teams in the Div were largely responsible for that reduction in the league as a whole. They conceded a total of 46 goals between them!

I don't think it's the number of gaols in absolute terms that mattered. Eustace had the team playing in a way that would have inevitably (in my view) meant fewer goals but was ultimately getting better results (on the whole) What I think we missed though was Szmodics's ability to nick a goal out of nothing - and then we quite probably would have got something in those failures against the bottom teams.

Maybe clubs looking from the outside in over last 12 months don't like what they see with the two players in question - injuries in JRC's case (and his whole career history of these) and attitude in Buckley's. If I was a club looking to take a chance on either player I'd probably want a loan with option to buy - but guess that doesn't fit with our need for immediate cash as seems to be the club's operating principle at the moment.

I've been in a position where to get my 'fix' I decided to watch the local team. This was mostly non-league and I wanted them to do well, enjoyed their successes, etc. Only once did I regularly go to watch another League team - Newcastle Utd - as was there at uni. I never for one minute 'supported' them and enjoyed the games as games regardless of who won. I think it's ok to support a League team and your local non-League team. My family did with Rovers and Rossendale United. Was very glad they never met in a competitive game! One half of me would have wanted Rossy to win as would have been amazing for the club and the other half of me would have wanted Rovers to win to avoid the humiliation!!

I guess it depends on your definition of bigger. If it is in terms of historic crowds then we are no bigger than the likes of Leicester and Southampton. I've made the point before that those clubs are lucky in the sense that we are surrounded by other clubs whereas they have big areas to draw support from. If it is terms of historic achievement then we are undoubtedly bigger than many of those clubs. But even then if you look at the last 100 years then we are no bigger than Leicester. They have won the League, FA Cup and League cup, and have several FA cup finals - all since 1960. And I object very much to your suggestion that for making these points I'm not a real Rovers fan. I was in our lowest ever league crowd and was at Millwall away in 1979 when there were so few of us it felt like we were outnumbered by the police and stewards! When you compare us to our direct historic competitors - Dingles, Nobbers and Horwich - then we have achieved more than any of them. I'm not arguing that what Rovers have achieved isn't remarkable - in fact I'm arguing that it is more remarkable because of our relative resources compared to some other clubs. I'm not accepting it is as good as it can be. It's merely stating this is where we are at the moment. We all agree that the only way this changes is either a complete change of direction by the Venky's - bloody unlikely going off the last 15 years - or new owners. I remember the gut punch feeling of Palace in 1990 followed by the ecstasy of Wembley in 1992 (possibly the greatest day of my life) and knowing I'd finally see Rovers play top flight football for the first time in my lifetime. I want that feeling back FFS. The point I was trying to make is that people who think we should accept where we are is ok are wrong. We are 'bigger' than many of those clubs historically and would be again with the right owners. But to the outside world, at the moment, the sad fact is we aren't. Palace have finished half way up the top flight and just won the FA Cup. The fact they've historically done fuck all when compared to us probably isn't relevant to prospective new owners unfortunately. You mentioned Bournemouth - it pisses me off to see them where they are - but that is purely down to their owner. We all want the club to move back to where it belongs but for that to happen we have to understand the current perception of us from outside. If we don't then we won't do the right things to change that. What does just saying we are bigger than Brentford do to change that?

Since the abolition of the maximum wage isn't some of that at least partially true? But the really fucking annoying thing is that after Jack 'pump-primed' the club to get us in the Premier League, the new owners only had to continue the good work of John Williams for a little longer and then the much increased TV money would have more than offset our relatively lower crowds. We're no different from, in fact still a bigger (at least as big as) club than, Brentford, Palace, Dingles, Southampton, etc. who have managed to become either established in the top flight or at least yo-yo'ing. Instead we got the Venky's clusterfuck who, ironically, managed to destroy any chance of establishing the model they now want to run, by their actions in the first few seasons. Any fan who thinks we should be grateful to the Venky's needs their bloody head examining!

Posters wishing injury on a player - whatever that player is deemed to have done - is not acceptable in my view. As Szmodics refused to play then he should expect dog's abuse from some sections of the crowd - as their money was paying his wages then they have a right to feel cheated by him. But that should be as far as it goes.

Totally agree that support is good relative to size of town and the large number of surrounding clubs (a fact supporters of the likes of Norwich and Leicester tend to ignore when criticising our support). However that does mean in absolute terms our support will always be limited compared to many other clubs. I remember the 92 play-off final and the Old Trafford FA cup semi-final as two occasions when we couldn't sell our allocation.

Even when we were the best team in the country we couldn't fill a 31k stadium. With the overall rise in crowds over the last 30 years we could well have got to filling the stadium regularly had we stayed as a leading Premier League club. I guess it depends on how you define a fan base. Does it include those who will turn up for the occasional big match and take a casual interest in what is going on? If that is the case then 13k is a minority of that total. If you only include those who would ever go regularly to games (depending on the success of the team and other factors relating to the club, such as it's ownership) and/or take a more detailed interest in the club then 13k is a significant proportion. I respect those who have deliberately boycotted - that must be a painful thing to do. But surely the reality is that the managed decline of the club and the lack of success on the field is the key factor in the hollowing out of the support. The season in League One showed that supporters will return if there is a genuine prospect of success.

Why should that have ruined him? Did a bit of a stupid thing and was harshly punished but no big deal really. Trav was sent off at Portsmouth early on his career - he seems to have recovered ok. Unfortunately Buckley hasn't kicked on after a promising start and probably best for all that he moves on. If he drops down a division or two he could well be a 'big fish' and that might help him have a better career.

Emi Martinez - total knob of a bloke but a world-class keeper. And when they won in 86 I seem to remember some bloke called Maradona 😉 '78 - home advantage offset lack of a truly world-class player although Kempes and Passarella (at least) were probably close. However it's a fair point that teams can win things without a world-class player - e.g. Greece in the Euro's - if the management is world-class.

And having the right footed winger on the right wing - what were they thinking. How on earth did they expect him to cope with cutting inside onto his weaker foot?

Brings back memories. Particularly nice to see the Darwen End roof before it's 'refurbishment' in 1982, courtesy of the six-fingered roofers.

The UEFA cup was often considered to be the toughest to win due to the fact it had more than one team from the stronger leagues and some of those teams were on the rise at the time. Of course those teams are now in the Champions League instead!

Was at a one day international at OT when Tavare was batting. He was so slow we were convinced the opposition were trying to make sure they didn't get him out Ended up with the crowd shouting at his partner (might have been Gooch) to run him out!

Good points. The toilets on the Riverside were delightful. A great view of the stars on a clear night but sploshing through the rain and whatever else (!) in the dark otherwise 😬 I was lucky (I think) to have a dad who took me to games despite the ever present threat of trouble but I can imagine a lot of people took the alternative view. Once or twice we had to make a hasty retreat!!

Football really was in terminal decline in the early /mid 80's. Also it was the Thatcher era with mass unemployment, the miners strike,etc. so money was tight for many people. Many of us who were around at the time have fond memories of the football back then and the feeling of connection with the club, owners and players. But without the kick up the arse the game received with the start of the Premier League - and I know there are lots of things wrong with it - who knows what would have happened.

Noticed how many names of the Div 3 goalscorers I can remember!

Totally agree flaky pastry on a pie is just plain wrong. Having lived in the midlands, south-west and Wales there is nowhere like the north for decent pies. Whenever I see a pie on a menu my first question is always to ask what pastry it is made with.