Thing is, Salzburg was free for all ST holders so no alteration was needed to any of the smartcards. The turnstiles simply allowed all ST holders in to the ground. For the UEFA + league cup games it isn't that simple, because it's down to who has paid and who hasn't. Those who have paid would need to get their smartcards updated before going to the turnstiles ... ... (and then read previous post as to why that can't happen instantly at the gate).

I'm not technically minded enough to understand this stuff but my uneducated guess is that the technology that Rovers have isn't quite up to this (or if it is, the risk of mass malfunction on a matchday isn't worth taking). People familiar with Transport for London's Oystercard may have seen something similar - if you top up your balance remotely (ie online), you can't go straight onto the transport network and use the new cash. You have to first nominate a location where you will physically go to a ticket machine and complete the top up. Again a presumption - it's not practical to intsall every turnstile at Ewood (or in London, every tube access gate, tram and bus) with the technology which processes changes to the status of every single smartcard. The access points must just have basic "yes/no" functionality. Functionality which changes the status of smartcards is probably hugely expensive relative to technology which simply reads them (perhaps like DVD players vs DVD recorders but on a bigger scale) - so it's not viable to change the readers which are currently on the turnstiles. So I'm sure Rovers are correct to play safe with paper tickets for cup games for now.

1 hour and 46 minutes as of now

Big Fat Sam offers to lend Bolton keeper to Chelsea. Begs the question "what's in it for him?" Whilst I have plenty of sympathy for Cech and Cudicini, I have absolutely none at all for Chelsea. You can spend all the cash you want, but if your luck's out, that's the way of the world. BFS - as boss of one of Chelsea's rivals - should sit back and enjoy watching Hilario in goal like the rest of us rather than brown nose Abramovich and Mourinho.

Which yesterday? It was today in this hemisphere. Daft old giffer ...

Well well well. The Aussie boys get delayed and arrive back in England much later than planned, but not only do they both make the team - they both complete 90 minutes. Some of our Premiership rivals were resting players who barely got over the channel in midweek. It's a great message being sent out by Mark Hughes. Players at this club are pushed not pampered. Subs are made to win or protect points, not to rest legs (Tugay's excepted). I hope he lets Lucas and Bert have a lie in at least once before we head to Poland. They both deserve one.

Given that most of the current French team aren't actually French, it's probably only a matter of time ... ...

How much more evidence is needed before the lynch mob shut up whining and allow Hughes and Neill to get on with firing Rovers up the table and through to the important bits of three cups?? None of us know how the intricate dressing room relationships pan out at Ewood. But all the evidence suggests Hughes is making best use, and that for now involves Neill as captain. Live and let live, and stop the ridiculous moaning.

After a similar midweek trip last season, Lucas went straight back into the team the weekend after a Wednesday night jaunt down under, and Bert was on the bench. I remember thinking at the time Lucas must be in damn good shape to cope with that. Wouldn't be surprised to see them both in the team on Saturday, what with Bert's new life and everything.

Incidentally, a number of posters have referred to Lucas Neill as club captain. Although he's had the armband on the field recently, unless I've missed something the honour of being club captain still lies with Andy "I'm going stale here please find me a move" Todd.

Lots of the usual knee jerk over-reactions on here. Firstly we don't know the context of his comments. It's probable that as captain of Australia he was asked a (possibly loaded) question and had to answer it. There is a long list of players who have quit Rovers and lied about their intentions - some at very short notice leaving the team in the lurch. Lucas Neill's situation today is no different from his situation yesterday, or two months ago when his agent revealed he'd not be signing another contract at Rovers. He intends to move somewhere else and is being open and honest about it when asked the question. Meanwhile he's doing an awesome job on the pitch. Mark Hughes, Mark Bowen and co and his teammates think he's a damn good choice for captain. Until they decide any different, that's good enough for me.

Tour operators / travel agents talk crap to get you to book what they want you to book. There are trains from Rotterdam to Amsterdam at 2300, 2315, 2330, 0020, 0059 and then hourly through the night at xx59. Should be ok for a game ending at half ten ...

Brilliant by Rovers, and proof that there is a refreshing attitude from those running the club which really is committed to tackling our challenging crowd situation. I hope it's a massive gate and I also hope the local pubs which would normally show the game illegally join in the spirit of the day and refuse to transmit for once. They could even be innovative too, and encourage pre-match punters down to the ground by dishing out vouchers for a post-match freebie pint for people who can produce a match ticket. After all - they are blatantly coining it on the back of the club, they owe the club support on this day to keep Ewood rocking.

I heard the full, unedited interview with John Williams on Sky Sports News immediately after the draw - complete with the jokes with the presenters about not having spoken to Mark Hughes yet because he was hanging on the line for Sky giving them priority! There was certainly no mention of financial reward, it was all about (at that stage) who he'd like to face at home and away, and how important it was to put the clubs poor record in European competition firmly in the past. Another good indication that the club is in very good hands at the top level.

We're also on the Wednesday night disco boat from Hull to Rotterdam - it should be a proper good laugh on there with a few Rovers fans preparing for the game!! They should put either Liverpool v PSV or Bremen v Chelsea on to help get us in the mood before the DJ takes over. Anyone got a CD with Rovers hits we can bribe him to put on? Maybe the drummer will be on the boat! Staying at the Ibis Hotel next door to Amsterdam Centraal station after the game.

So it didn't get premium pricing - it was the middle category so the vast majority of walk on tickets were available for £24 - £32. You could venture that it should have been the lowest category (£15 - £25) but charging 2500 Wiganers the extra 7 quid brings in £17,500.

The ground hasn't been nearly full on a regular basis for 11 years. Every other pricing policy has been tried - including those which have ST holders spitting dummies out all over the the local media - so now we have one which generates great income from away fans we should support it. Especially when the cheapest areas for home fans don't sell out.

Well at least that confirms that you supporting Rovers is subject to who Rovers happen to employ! As for Souness, anyone who tries to claim he ever wanted to lose anything has clearly lost the plot.

I gave Talk Sport one last chance tonight during the 5 hour motorway trek back from Blackburn. When I tuned in, George Galloway was presenting, reading out emails from listeners who think he's God's answer to politics. That is the final straw.

Jan (very publicly on this site and on the Rovers email list) withdrew her support for Rovers under Souness, and made a great song and dance about coming back to Ewood Park when he left. All that despite unashamedly enjoying the good times - I sat next to Jan at Spurs when we thrashed them 4-0 to get into Europe and she was chanting for the manager and the team along with the rest of us! And enjoyed the subsequent trip to Sofia. Clearly by the next round v Celtic she'd swapped sides. That's what mystifies me.

In your obsession to rant against the pricing policy, BRISA, etc, etc you've missed a few things out. If Premier League games suddenly attracted the same pricing as UEFA / Carling Cup games, then Season Ticket holders would be the first to be up in arms (and Season Ticket revenue next summer would be destroyed). 15 quid in x 19 games = £285. Season tickets in BBE = £460. It's not rocket science. YOU CAN GET THOSE 19 GAMES IN THE JACK WALKER LOWER (OR RIVERSIDE) FOR £28.89 PER MONTH, OVER 10 MONTHS. THAT'S £15.20 PER GAME. THOSE AREAS ARE NOT SOLD OUT, EVEN WITH WALK ON FANS JOINING ST HOLDERS. Rovers are not driving support away with the pricing. Supporters are choosing not to attend for other reasons - have been for 5 seasons - and Rovers are doing what they can to get a gate revenue which allows the club to employ the likes of Mark Hughes and Benni McCarthy, and compete with the likes of Liverpool and Spurs (and Salzburg). In addition Rovers have more schemes than any other Prem League club to encourage walk on fans to come back - not only the bargain areas in the JW and Riverside, but the membership scheme and the reward card. Stop whinging and recognise the environment in which we compete. You are urging OUR Premier League club to price admission on a par with Bury - who are 80 places below us out of the 92 clubs. To do so would be totally unrealistic and would destroy what we have at Rovers.

I usually sit 20 odd rows back on the Blackburn End, right up against the sidewall (JW side). I think the sound of the drummers must be muted in that position. Today (thanks to the ticket from Preston Blue ) I was up in the top tier of the JW, level with the Blackburn End penalty spot. The noise of the drummers - yeah all FOUR of them - dominates the "normal" noise off the Blackburn End and every other part of the ground. They are a constant distraction and a total embarrassment. They are killing the good work of the more vocal elements of the Blackburn End. You could claim they start one or two "Get Into Them" or "Mark Hughes Blue and White Army" efforts - about all you can start with a drum - but the crowd would start chants anyway if the drummers weren't there. They have to be asked to stop. I know Adult Drummer is a passionate fan, well it's time for him to turn up, pay for his seat home and away, and exercise the lungs instead of the right arm.

And I wrote all of that about Ooijer before reading Mark Hughes' comments in todays LET ...

A quite ridiculous situation really. When millions of fans from all over the world can descend on Germany, drink all day in FIFA fan parks then rock up at the grounds and buy MORE beer to take to their seats whilst watching the World Cup final fixtures ... ... not 2 months later we're back to UEFA and stupid rules banning beer anywhere in the grounds (and closing off a valuable revenue stream for the clubs involved). Boooooo to UEFA!

MOTD wasn't a good reflection of the game. The one chance everyone seems to be referring to is when Euell went right through the middle of Neill and Zurab and missed the target when 1 on 1 with Brad. That one moment was not a microcosm of the game as a whole. Noticeable that Ooijer was further up the field at that moment taking care of Yakubu I think. 99% of the time he seemed to boss the back line - as others have said a really encouraging performance from him on Saturday with some great interceptions with his head and on the ground. On this evidence Henchoz won't get near the side and the idiot Todd will be off in January.