Trouble with that is, the worst tickets go on sale first. Surely we could have taken the full allocation, and put the upper tier on sale first. I bet they think they can never please anyone!

Don't forget that the ticket office are refusing to sell tickets to rovers fans. What do you expect? Celtic didn't refuse their fans tickets, did they?

Just seen the results, and what a miserable bunch you are. Have faith.

The Lancashire Evening Post is reporting that rovers will start contract talks with Gillespie at Christmas. "We are aware that Keith's contract is running out so we'll be sitting down with him and his agent at Christmas," said Ewood's chief executive John Williams. Gillespie added: "I want to stay with Blackburn but I accept that it is up to me to get back in the side and prove to the club that I'm worth a new contract. More and more these days, though, football is a squad rotation game and I'm sure there will be future opportunities.The lads have made a good start in the Premiership and we've still a great chance to progress in the UEFA Cup. We should be aiming to finish higher than our 10th place finish last season." This news should be warmly recieved by Rovers fans, as Dizzy is a popular chap, and one of a rare breed of old fashioned wingers.

Craig Hignett has today gone on loan to Coventry City, until the end of the year. "Higgy", has been out of favour again, recently. A permanent move away from Ewood, looks to be inevitable.

A view from the Glasgow Herald: Henrik's grand act of larceny Blackburn unlucky to lose as Swede claims place in record books GRAHAM SPIERS Celtic 1 - Blackburn Rovers 0 Scorer: Larsson (85) THIS greatly anticipated UEFA Cup tie in Glasgow, from Celtic's point of view, very nearly proved a huge disappointment. It is some while since Celtic were made to chase quite so many shadows as Blackburn Rovers peppered around them last night, a fate which left Martin O'Neill's team in an occasional state of bewilderment. The only bewilderment Blackburn Rovers must have felt was that they left Glasgow defeated, a truly remarkable outcome. Henrik Larsson's act of larceny for Celtic after 85 minutes - it made him the highest scorer for a Scottish club side in European football with 22 goals - may have been justified on the basis of Celtic's willing spirit, but not, surely, on the basis of the game thus far. Graeme Souness' side looked much the more competent and dangerous, though Blackburn, despite enjoying the wiles of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, almost abused their own efforts in front of Celtic's goal. Big Rab Douglas seemed a hybrid figure of both a brave and charmed goalkeeper. Souness has been lauded and loathed all over Europe but he can't have experienced anything like the welcome he received here. Since this UEFA Cup draw was made three weeks ago, there have been those who had been relishing the moment when Souness would emerge from the Parkhead tunnel and, unless you were equipped with ear-muffs favoured by the bomb disposal experts, you couldn't fail to be stirred by the atmosphere inside this stadium. If Souness felt he could thwart Celtic Park's raining abuse, he was proved sadly mistaken. The Blackburn manager delayed his arrival in the dugout until after kick-off, a fact which rankled not just Celtic's supporters but the awaiting newspaper photographers, who were positioned ready for their prey. By the time Souness entered the arena the match was under way, but that delayed arrival didn't stop the home support from finally having their say. On such nights you cannot ask Celtic Park to be at its social and civic best. The ex-Rangers manager strode forth and offered the Blackburn support an animated and exaggerated wave of his arms, prompting Celtic's supporters to give Souness what for. Parkhead showered him with boos and hisses and made the usual unbecoming suggestions about self-ejaculation. To a man of Souness' mettle, all this was the perfect welcome. The Blackburn manager had been happily indulging the line about the noisier the Celtic support towards him, the greater a compliment it would seem. In that sense he wouldn't be disappointed. Nor could he possibly have felt let down by the stealth and composure of his team on the night. A neat, cohesive and determined Blackburn side made life exhaustively difficult for Celtic, none more so than for Bobo Baldé, an intimidating though often lumbering presence in the heart of Celtic's defence. Swift with their incursions and often spreading alarm along with possession fed to Yorke, the Premiership side caused Celtic such awkwardness that Baldé was summoned to the touchline to receive urgent counselling from Martin O'Neill after a series of harassed moments. Notwithstanding Stilian Petrov's early, majestic header which Brad Friedel saved, Celtic were fortunate not to concede a goal. Just about every threat Blackburn posed Celtic was woven around the scurrying David Thompson, a player once tossed aside by Liverpool and picked up by Coventry City before Souness bought him to add another astute part to this re-built Blackburn team. When Thompson wasn't haring at Celtic down their exposed left flank, he was tormenting O'Neill's men through the middle almost with abandon. It was amid numerous Rovers forays after 40 minutes that Thompson beautifully befuddled the Celtic defence, setting up Yorke in front goal before Ulrik Laursen blocked his shot. The match was distinguished by two remarkable saves, coming within moments of each other. From a bursting Didier Agathe run in the ninth minute, the ferocity of Petrov's header had to be seen to be believed, as did the instinctive arm thrown by Friedel to keep the ball at bay. If that was an excellent display of goalkeeping, what the often-derided Douglas produced moments later, and elsewhere in this match, proved equally eye-catching. Frankly, Celtic's defence got into an embarrassing fankle when Tugay and Gary Flitcroft pushed Blackburn forward, and the alert Thompson was suddenly in acres of space eight yards out when he lashed his shot at goal. Douglas plunged instinctively to his left to beat the ball away. Celtic's play, at least in the opposition half, had been sorely impoverished in the first half, yet Blackburn simply could not convert possession or pressure into goals. There was little comfort for Celtic, though, when Cole, preserved on the bench by Souness after injury, appeared for the second half. Cole's pace and sense of anticipation were obvious, though Baldé, Laursen and Joos Valgaeren all somehow stuck out a leg to block his shots. Celtic had a far better second half, but, like Blackburn, their play seemed to be going unrewarded in front of goal. A tame shot from Sutton in the 48th minute was easily gathered by Friedel, and Celtic, frankly, were a disappointment. After 85 minutes, though, Thompson's corner was met ferociously by Hartson, whose downward header Friedel beat away. Larsson pounced to stab the ball home. - Nov 1st

2nd half 50/50 ?Take your green and white specs off. You were never on a par with rovers. You never had posession? Well there's a reason for that isn't there. Teams who are played off the park by better teams, don't get posession. And finally, we were worth a draw? I really expected more from intelligent Celtic fans. Can I ask a question? How old are you SMcceltic?

The best way, Debs, was to look on the messageboards. It was obvious from there, that there would be a massive demand.

Hasta - 0-0 would be a brilliant score. However, I reckon we'll score at parkhead. Certain to. It's just a matter of how many they score. 1-1 would be absolutely ideal. Favourites to go through, while enticing a full house in front of one of the best ever atmospheres at ewood. Here's hoping. I do get the impression though, that the hoops fans are underestimating us. Unfortunately though, I don't think the team will.

Well done Jordan, I'm reet chuffed for you!

It's not an obsession. It's the first time I've thought about it. Somebody's misjudged the situation. Hence the "reviewing ticketing policy" statement.

Rovers official site are reporting that Damien Duff will miss this weekends game with Arsenal. Being as today is only Tuesday, it suggests the injury could be worse than previously thought. There must also now be doubts about his fitness for the Celtic games.

But was J.W. organising ticket allocation?

Just a thought in another direction. I may be way out, but, for the last few days or week there has been no word from JW. [or am I wrong?]. Has he been away? I seem to remember someone saying that he was away. Could it be that Tom Finn has taken all this on his own back? Is that the reason that after saying there would be an announcement in a couple of days, that it actually took another week to announce the ticket details? It's no excuse I know, but was Tom Finn really the man with his finger on the pulse? I doubt that he is in touch with the fans as much as JW is. You wouldn't expect him to be really, would you? I wonder whether things would have been different if JW had been in charge. Maybe I'm way off course.

Now I'm not one of them, but, it seems as though some of these fans queued this morning only to be told no tickets had been put aside for them. I was under the impression that they were guaranteed one. It's up to the board now to clarify whether or not this was the case. If it was - what are they going to do about it?

And your 99th Birthday?

SteB, just a little off topic, happy birthday for last week. According to your profile, you were 99. Congrats indeed!

The lancashire evening telegraph is reporting that Tugay will take up an option of a further 1 year extension to his contract. This will take him up to the summer of 2004. On top of this, he will also retire from international football after the qualifiers for euro 2004. Great news for rovers, as he will now be directing his energies directly to the Ewood cause.

No, I meant unrestricted views.

Me and my lad Baz have. He was at ewood at 6 am this morning. I was ringing from home, without any luck whatsoever. He reckons there were a couple of hundred in front of him, and a couple of thousand behind him at nine O'clock. Unrestricted as well. Good luck to everyone who is still trying.

I follow what you are saying ewood spark, about the unique position of rovers. You're right to a point. Surely though, Celtic IS the game to cater for "part time" supporters. I really don't understand the people who don't care who gets tickets, as long as the "real" supporters are looked after. It's the only way we are ever going to increase the fan base. It's the only way we are ever going to get the extra supporters needed to re-develop the riverside. We've got to give the rovers fans, part time or not, the opportunity to come to the big games. This occassionally will mean taking a gamble on selling all our tickets.

for the newcastle game. Duff and Cole both still out, so Matty makes a surprise recall. I suggest that he may make the bench, but it's great to see him back again.

We'd have another Man City situation on our hands if the club did anything like you suggest Paul. But you are always welcome to ask to have a meeting with John Williams to explain your views, he often sees fans down at the ground. I'm getting a bit sick of the "man city" excuses. Christ, how many other clubs give away one quarter of their home tickets in top european games? Well? I'm waiting. A prize for the first correct answer. The prize hasn't been claimed yet. Celtic chairman: "Oh mister Williams, you can have 2800 tickets. A lot of your supporters will have difficulty seeing, and some of them probably wont be able to see at all. By the way , you will be giving us the standard 1500 tickets will you?" J.W: ", Thanks very much. As far as your allocation, well we thought about giving our own supporters the option first, but then we thought, oh to #### with it, you can have 8000. We can be sure that you can sell your 8000, so what's the use in messing around? By the way, the views are all excellent! See you in a couple of weeks." The way I feel at the moment, They can stick their uefa cup up their bums. Both legs!

We'd have another Man City situation on our hands if the club did anything like you suggest Paul. But you are always welcome to ask to have a meeting with John Williams to explain your views, he often sees fans down at the ground. I'm getting a bit sick of the "man city" excuses. Christ, how many other clubs give away one quarter of their home tickets in top european games? Well? I'm waiting. A prize for the first correct answer.

Slightly wrong there, Season ticket holders who went to Sofia do NOT get priority over other season ticket holders. Those who went to sofia who don't have season tickets have exactly the same chance of getting a ticket as those who have season tickets and went. Season ticket holders MUST ALWAYS have priority over non season ticket holders (as we can't get top tenner tickets etc), but the club could have at least had the decency to split some of that allocation to those who did go to sofia. Splittin' hairs there, SteB. non season ticket holders will have the opportunity to get tickets, while season ticket holders could miss out. That's not the point though. IT STINKS!