The one on RoversWorld at half-time you mean? What did he say? It was impossible to make out in the Riverside. It sounded like the announcer at Preston Station. I heard him say he was delighted at the move finally going through and that the 21.54 to Manchester Airport was being replaced by a bus service but, other than that, I couldn't hear any of it. He kept looking over his right shoulder as well during the interview. He's either very shifty or Tugay's Imaginery friend was tapping him on the arm, badgering him for an autograph. Leave him alone Tugay's Imaginery Friend! There's plenty of time for that!

I don't think that's Flitcroft you can hear. It's the bloke behind me. Whenever the ball goes out of play anywhere on the field, he shouts "I'LL GET THAT!!!" and then chuckles to himself.

Can't you cancel your membership of the Home Cup Match Ticket Scheme over the phone and, whilst you're at it, order a £10 ticket for the FA Cup Third Round Replay? ...and then go and sit in your normal seat anyway as no-one else is going to buy it at £22.

They Riverside ones are all restricted view for the last 20 minutes of the game as well with people constantly walking past you to get out early.

Can I suggest a different itinerary which should improve your day immeasurably? 12:30pm drive to Blackburn giving 3 of your mates (all everton season ticket holders) a lift 2:00pm arrive at ewood 3:00pm 90 minutes of hell 4:45pm Humilation for many days to come That way, you avoid the worst bit.

Ah, I think you're right. I seem to remember seeing it at the time. Didn't he swing his left foot over it 3 times and then the crowd let out an enormous cheer when, eventually, at the fourth attempt, he turned it into a white rabbit?

I've searched long and hard and have finally managed to find an action picture of De Pedro with 'wand' outstretched. It looks, for all the world, like he is out of breath from running hard (BobF please note) and is poised to fire in a viscious right-foot free-kick. (In actual fact, this picture was taken during the pre-match warm-up and, just out of shot, Flitcroft and Gresko are holding him up.) His Plopta stats make interesting reading:- Name: ‘Ave it!! De Pedro Club: Blackburn Rovers Position: Left Apps: 2 Passes Completed: 0 Tackles attempted: 0 Headers Won: 0 Shots on Target: 0 Shots off Target: 0 Crosses completed: 0 Crosses intercepted: 0 Crosses landing in McDonalds’ Car Park: 17

I can safely say I have never felt such sympathy for the Lancashire Constabulary!! Clearly they've drawn a blank with their other lines of enquiry - circulating his picture on all available media, tracing who bought the seat, the scarf with the mysterious "Z" etc.. - and have had to resort to Hughesy's impression of the distinctive Australian-Brummie-Cockney accent! Expect Loyd Grossman to be in custody by this time tomorrow!

It's Zorro!!! Who'd have thought!?

I go in The Moorings which is on the other side of the canal further towards Blackburn (near The Infirmary). I think it's best that I stay there - my mum might kill anyone who starting pogoing near her!! Don't try to pretend you weren't pogoing to "Johnny Sax and his Sax" before the 'boro game!! The Waters Edge/Sams and The Moorings sound very similar. Just replace the words "42 inch plasma" with "12inch portable", replace "shiny metallic" with "plastic" and replace the "w" with an "s" and that's the Moorings in a nutshell!

As has been said, the club have to move forward and it's a bold decision by Sparky but right now I feel absolutely gutted for Tony. Imagine how awful it must have been when he turned up at work to be told the appalling news that he was going to be interviewed by Jim Mk2!! I think it will really hit home tomorrow when Rovers are playing and he isn't involved for the first time in 30 years. I wish him all the best.

Yes, all of them. I mean you might have to go up a couple of steps but they are really not that high. Don't worry about it.

It's no great problem if we can't get out.

Unfortunately in that time the referee, Steve Dunn, books 5 Rovers' players for kicking out at the "small fella" as he makes darting runs into our penalty area and, with the sort of refereeing inconsistency we're becoming so used to lately, penalty appeals are waved away and the "small fella" escapes any punishment, as he blatently trips Dickov when clean through on goal. Norwich 1 - 2 Rovers

People seem to be dismissing one of my all-time favourites, Nicky Reid. He wasn’t the most gifted footballer but he was undoubtedly entertaining and, what he lacked in talent, he more than made up for in running up and down a lot. I’ve posted similar before but it’s worth repeating here. Nicky Reid was born in Manchester (or somewhere else) at some time or other and from the moment his father showed him how to kick a ball, he ignored him and ran up and down a lot. Nicky had a great engine …and some matchbox cars and one of those wooden blocks you push different shaped pegs into but, despite that, he preferred to run up and down a lot and that was to stand him in good stead in his chosen career. Nicky was lucky that the managers he played under at Ewood recognised his strengths and weaknesses. He was never asked to do anything he wasn’t capable of and that brought out the best in him. The pre-match team talk must have gone something like: Terry, I want you to play in goal today. Don’t let anything past you. Simon, you’re up front. Score some goals for us. Nicky, erm… …Run up and down a lot. He was a box-to-box player with the emphasis on “box-to-box” and not so much on “player”. He’d run from penalty spot to penalty spot for 90 minutes and if anything got in his way, he’d kick it, hard, in the direction he was facing. He didn’t care if he ran offside. He didn’t care if he played the opposition onside. He didn’t care if 8000+ spectators were saying “Where the ******* **** is Reid going?” He had his job and he’d stick to it. Even his pre-match warm up consisted of running up and down a lot. Once, against Cambridge I think, he was nearing the end of his Darwen End to Blackburn End run when the ball inexplicably landed at his feet. Instinctively he kicked it, hard, in the direction he was facing. To a man, the Blackburn End ducked as the ball rocketed towards them. Very few people actually saw what happened but when they regained their feet, there was Nicky Reid standing absolutely still, arms aloft on the penalty spot. That, coupled with the lack of falling masonry from the Blackburn End, alerted people to the fact that he’d scored. Reid himself was clearly stunned – that 5 seconds was the longest he ever stood still on a football pitch and he never really recovered from it. From that moment on, he was always 5 seconds out of sync and, sadly, his runs never coincided with the ball ever again. So that’s my case for Nicky Reid. Personally, I’ll be voting for Clayton.

You know what you’re going to get from Rovers (Lots of huff and puff, dodgy defending, Infuriating wing play, mis-placed passing, no shots on target and a Dickov penalty appeal) so it depends which Chelsea turns up as to how this match goes. If it’s the Chelsea we know they can be – full of pace and flair, creating (and taking) numerous chances and easily snuffing out our futile long-ball attacks then I can only see us taking a drubbing. 5-0. Duff, Terry, Lampard 2 and Kezman. If it’s the defensive, goal shy Chelsea that we seem to see most often, more pre-occupied with keeping the opposition out than pressing forward to score goals then I can only see us taking a drubbing. 4-0 Duff, Terry, Lampard and Kezman. If it’s Chelsea the drunken, buck-toothed daughter of former US president Bill Clinton then we might scrape a draw. 1-1. Flitty to score early on and round off a good day for himself by putting Rovers into the lead midway through the second half. Only for Chelsea to equalize from the spot in injury time, when she goes down far too easily after being nudged in the box by Dickov. If it’s Chelsea the tabby cat from next door, it will be a goalless draw. Despite having the majority of possession, Dickov, Stead and co. can find no way past Chelsea “The Cat” the cat.

Saturday wasn’t good was it? At times like this it’s important to concentrate on the plus points: 1. For five minutes I though we were excellent - crisp passing in triangles, instant control, a decent number of shots on target and even some showboating. Fantastic stuff. Then Mr. Riley started the game and it all began to go pear-shaped. 2. The line-up for the pre-match handshakes was immaculate. 3. Tugay cannot be selected for the next match. 4. We’ve finally stopped conceding soft goals from set pieces. Fair play to Sparky for that. Although I’m not sure the tactic of allowing the opposition to run at goal unchallenged is a sound one. Time will tell. 5. The bloke behind me has stopped mis-pronouncing players names. In fact he’s stopped using names altogether and has opted instead for a raucous “Oooooooooooh Noooooooooo!! Eh?” in the broadest east lancs accent you’ve ever heard. 6. The Blackburn End have a great new song which I can see being used for months to come (until they have all been ejected). 7. We provided Gary Lineker with excellent joke material (Tugay = Two guys!! Nice one Gary). 8. It can’t get any worse than this. ….Can it?

Ohio Gourd Society. Good of them to take time out to contact Gamst. I'm sure he feels much better for that. I just feel he could have gained more confidence from a fellow Norwegian striker who has had some success in the Premiership.

I think I know who the Peter Jackson Man of the Match will be.

Don't flatter yourself. You're much nearer to the "old giffer" side and you know it! And yes, you're doing a great job Den. Yes but he's a pimple-faced old giffer Scotty so he does indeed fall between the two categories.

What fantastic entertainment! No, not the match. Of course not. No, the bit where weedy Paul Dickov offered to throw the ball out for a goal kick from 12 yards to give Charlton possession back and the astonished referee asked "Can you throw it that far!?!". Marvellous stuff. I'm usually at a loss to understand why so many posters have a different opinion of the match after a home game. I've always put it down to us watching from different parts of the ground, getting a different view, seeing things from different angles. How can there be so many contrasting views when we're all watching the same SkyTV pictures? Gray, man of the match? I thought it was his worst game for us. Emerton useless? I thought he was our biggest threat. Neill crap? Go on, I'll give you that one. I'm worried at how goal-shy we look up front - the best chances falling to Flitcroft and Amo. A number of people (Alan Smith included) are suggesting we need the ball to bounce in off Stead's backside to give him a bit of confidence. The way he is playing, I just can't see that happening. He always seems to be half a yard behind the defender and, crucially, facing the wrong way. Every good striker knows that you have to stand on the 18 yard line, face away from goal, bend your knees, lean forward and run backwards at full tilt to score with your arse. I don't want to write the lad off but he's just not showing any signs of doing this.

Well I do. Sox..............? I was about to but then I noticed the warning:- So I just had a quick go at "flashing" then put it away.

Great post Sox - as ever. I took the cycle light instructions to the match. Looks a real winner and I've ordered one. I just need to get a bike now. Cheers Paul (Hope your lad had a good night). I've decided against ordering one as I couldn't understand the instructions - the Battery Replacement looks far too complicated and, just when I thought I'd got the hang of the belt adjustment, my trousers fell down.

I'm sure it's impossible to sum up last night concisely but I'm going to try:- ------------- It was a game of four halves. Rovers had the better of the opening exchanges. In fact we had all of the opening exchanges but, from the off, too many passes were misplaced - the “ponderous-looking” De Pedro being the main culprit. In contrast, Bournemouth’s passing was quick and accurate. Every now and then Tugay or Douglas would wave a boot at the ball but invariably it had been moved on leaving our midfielder flat on his elbow. The only players on the field looking anything like premiership quality were the two right wingers – Emerton and Elliot who constantly caused problems for their opposition’s left flanks. Rovers took a deserved lead on 8 minutes. A rush of blood to the head of De Pedro caused him to pass accurately into the path of Jansen who had made a run in behind the full back. His shot was saved by the keeper but the ball looped up and dropped to Emerton on the six yard line. In the centre of goal with an open net in front of and time to watch the ball drop you felt sure he was going to miss but he didn’t. 1-0 to Rovers. Now we could sit back and relax and see how many we could score. Then just a couple of minutes later, the unthinkable happened. A De Pedro cross dropped onto the head of a Rovers player inside the area! I was in so much shock I didn’t notice whether it was Emerton or Jansen who headed straight at the keeper. An equalizer, if it came was likely to come from the Bournemouth right. It was their first venture into Rovers territory and the sheer audacity of it surprised the Rovers defence. Elliot strolled past De Pedro, who shrugged and looked at his boots, then, with Gresko backing off, he crossed into the Rovers penalty area. No problem, they only had O’Connor in there and we had Neill, Amo and Nissa covering. Unfortunately Amo and Nissa were practising the can-can as the ball came over and hadn’t seen Bournemouth attacking. O’Connor’s finish gave Enks no chance. We had numerous half chances to score after that. Amo crashed a shot of the bar. Emerton, Jansen and Bothroyd all went close. Then the half began to fizzle out. It was brought briefly to life by an exquisite cross-field ball from De Pedro. With the outside of his boot and with all the skill of a seasoned international, he played an inch-perfect ball to some bloke in the Jack Walker Lower Tier in a green jacket. Sadly, the bloke mis-controlled it and the attack broke down. I felt a call of nature and, as the half was drawing to a close, I made for the toilets. When I came out the second half was underway and Rovers were well on top. How long had I been in there!!?? Stead fired a shot narrowly wide, a drive from Matteo went inches over and a crashing drive from Pedersen brought a fine save from Gallagher. Hang on. Gallagher in goal? Pedersen, Stead, Matteo? It was the half time warm up for the substitutes!! Good entertainment actually. The second half started as dully as the first had finished. Only Emerton and Jansen were causing any threat. Passes were still going astray and whenever the ball went out to Elliot our defence looked shaky. I did find out that the Cat’s Eye bicycle light can swivel through 180 degrees (thanks Paul). De Pedro was replaced by Pedersen and Stead came on for a disappointing Bothroyd. Stead made an impact. Closing down defenders and forcing mistakes. He went on a couple of runs but there was no end product. A pull back from Pedersen found Stead unmarked but his shot curled wide. Another shot was deflected wide and the keeper made a couple of decent saves. Douglas should have done better from an Emerton pull-back. At the other end Bournemouth weren’t offering much. Until the 80th minute that is. A counter-attack, a cross and a virtually unchallenged header from Broadhurst put the visitors in front. Suddenly there was an atmosphere in the ground and a sense of urgency from the players. Paul Gallagher was introduced and Gresko withdrawn. More chances came and went. A Bournemouth free-kick was well saved by Enks. The 4th official put the board up. 3 minutes left. It looked like it wasn’t going to happen for us. Tugay suddenly broke into the Bournemouth box. He beat the first man, beat the second, beat the third, set himself to shoot, beat the second man again, beat the third man again and was robbed by the first. Twit! Deep into injury time Emerton went on another run. He worked an opening but decided against crossing. Instead he opted to take on two more defenders. Somehow he got a shot in which was well saved at the near post. The resultant corner was half cleared but the ball found its way to Pedersen who fired the equalizer superbly to force extra time and win me £35. We started extra time with a very attacking line-up and took the lead in the first minute. Emerton again went surging forward. His pass was behind Jansen who had to stop and lay it back to Gallagher. Gally’s shot was ferocious and accurate. Top corner. 3-2. Ewood Park sighed with relief. Bournemouth heads dropped. Emerton was dropped to right back and Neill moved over to left back as we attempted to hold what we’d got. Then came the synchronized cramp. Nissa pulled such a hideous face as he hobbled off the pitch with cramp in both legs that the referee refused to let him back on until he was sure he had recovered fully. No-one likes to see a face like that on a football field. Then Emerton, Tugay and Amoruso started hobbling around clutching their legs, stretching at every opportunity. The equalizer came from another Rovers attack With 5 minutes left, Jansen ran at the defence forcing them back to the edge of their area then, instead of playing the ball to Pedersen unmarked to his left, he fired a thunderous shot against the defender two inches in front of him. The ball rebounded 40 yards to the Bournemouth left winger who beat a static Neill and crossed to the far post where an unmarked striker headed the ball down to another unmarked striker who scored with only Bournemouth’s fourth shot of the evening. So it went to penalties. The whole of the Blackburn End crowded into a small space behind the goal and the stewards went across to block their view - so there are still some supporters who don’t know what a penalty looks like. Enks made one save, their keeper made none but Bournemouth went through. We got what we deserved. ------------ Yup. Impossible. Thought so.

People?! In the Jack Walker Upper Tier?!?! Have you gone completely mad Kamy!?! I'm not surprised you got stared at!