This frustrates the hell out of me. You get to the stage where it's not even worth going for a pint at half time as you have to miss the end of the first half to give you a chance and then down it quickly so you don't miss too much of the second half. Same issue across various stadiums - but Rovers' seem particularly bad. If someone can invent a solution where you can pre-order drinks on an app and then collect from an Amazon style locker in the concourse (chilled) clubs would sell a hell of a lot more drinks.

A bit before my time, but fingers crossed history repeats itself (as in it doesn't last long). I remember Andreas Escobar being murdered in 1994 for scoring an own goal in the World Cup.

I just wondered what everyone's thoughts on the Saudi Pro League are? In a time when we're suffering from a cost of living crisis and ordinary people are struggling to put food on the table - we have veterans of the 'working man's game' earning absolute obscene amounts of money. Jordan Henderson will be earning £69 for every minute of every day whether he's awake or asleep. Cristiano Ronaldo will be earning £326 per minute (£3.3m per week). Presumably this is completely unsustainable and just the mega rich (most likely rich through questionable means) throwing money around like it's going out of fashion. Players like Jordan Henderson are comfortable abandoning his beliefs when offered £700k a week. Who can blame him? I've said for years that one day a big name player will retire at a very young age as it's like they've won the lottery. You only need a certain personality that isn't really interested in football to earn a lot of money at a young age for this to happen. Most of these players going to Saudi are players past their best getting one last pay day. But it won't be long before a big name youngster makes the move, pockets a huge amount of cash and then retires in his mid-20s. David Bentley retired at the age of 29 - you wonder if he'd have made the money early in his career in the Saudi League whether he'd have quit earlier. I'm not a particular fan of the Premier League and how money has completely taken over it (and made it uncompetitive for most) - but I just think the Saudi League is further ruining football. I for one won't be paying any attention to it. Player wages are killing the game and until clubs start to control them (Rovers last accounts showed we paid 147% of our turnover on wages - this wouldn't happen in the real world) it'll just get worse. I also watch Rugby League and the salary cap has at least made it more competitive in general - but you've still only had 3 grand final winners in 17 years - so I'm not even sure that is the answer. FFP hasn't helped at all in football either. The days of a Jack Walker coming in and taking his local club to glory are also long gone. No actual supporter can afford the sums of money these Saudi owners can put on. All the extra money is just going towards making the players richer and richer. I certainly don't love the game as much as I did when my dad first took me as a kid in the 90s. It's also hard when taking my son to a 2/3 empty stadium watching a team that struggles to compete. He'd have loved going during the peak days of the 90s/00's. I started writing this topic at 9:05am and I've made £8.40 in that time. Ronaldo has earned more than £6,500. Top 10 earners in Saudi Pro League: https://www.givemesport.com/the-10-highest-paid-players-in-the-saudi-league-next-season-ft-ronaldo-benzema-firmino/#jordan-henderson---al-ettifaq

U20s won the World Cup in 2017. Can we count that?

Spot on. Definitely useful as a sub - but if we've got aspirations of getting promoted - we need better starters.

Whilst Dolan has his flaws - to describe his end product as absolutely terrible is a bit harsh. 13 goal contributions last season. There can't have been many 20/21 year olds with that sort of return last season.

Hopefully they go all the way now. You'd think they'd be disappointed with a semi.

Absolute rubbish 😂

I met him once at a mutual friend's party. He was complaining about goalkeepers having to stay on their line for penalties - suggesting they'd always bang their heads on the post. Now considering the goals are 24 feet wide - I think it's safe to say it's possible for a goalkeeper to stay on his line without banging his head on the post.

Admittedly, I've not seen it from behind the goal, but from the main camera angle I didn't think it was his fault.

Liverpool are expected to match Chelsea's offer of £55m for Southampton's 19-year-old Belgium midfielder Romeo Lavia. (Talksport) What would Rovers' be valued at if they were up for sale now? Presumably the entire club is deemed less valuable than a 19 year old teenager who has less than 50 games under his belt.

I used to sit right behind the goal in the BBE and Scholes definitely hand-balled that in the cup semi.

They're on a journey

I've watched this game at the in-laws today. The father in law went to pour the women a drink. He's missed both goals and thought I was taking the piss when he's heard me celebrating so quickly after the first goal 😂

Jansen was number 15 when he first came - so it's always a number I've liked.

Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty kind of person? I'm a Rovers fan....

Very well written and a fair and balanced review. “In order to support Blackburn Rovers these days, the informed follower must be proficient in Indian tax law" That made me laugh.

It's the only Premier League manager contract I've seen - so not sure what is usually in there - but the contract is there to avoid any legal grey area should certain events happen. I'm sure Sunderland players had clauses in their contracts for reductions in wages for two relegations (based on the fact that a lot was made that Rodwell's salary was huge for League One) - so it might be a common 'covering their backs exercise'. If the club terminated Kean's contract - they had to pay him 6 months of his basic salary within 7 days. If we'd have sacked him after we were relegated from the Premier League, we'd have had to pay him £300k. If he'd have overseen a second straight relegation, his salary would have been cut to £300k and the pay out he was due down to £150k. There's not a chance you'd expect a manager to be allowed to remain in the position to oversee relegation from the Premier League to League One - but it doesn't mean you'd not put a clause in there for legal clarity.

Are you not getting confused with Ali Dia?

I remember the game where he scored his only goal. Dunn got a hattrick of penalties in the same game. Home to Rochdale.

Were you not pro-Waggott previously?

I've got a copy of the contract here - and there is definitely no bonus for relegation to either the Championship or League 1.

The bonus £1,611,000 only kicked in from the 2013/14 season. If we were in the Premier League in 2012/13 - he was due to be increased to the £1.2m a year basic PLUS £0.2m if we finished in the top 12. As it happened, we were relegated in 11/12 - so his salary was dropped to £0.6m. Still, entirely more than he deserved and we were absolutely played.

Absolutely not trying to defend him. Just pointing out that he didn't earn any bonus in the 11/12 season. You stated he went to be a £2.5m a year Premier League manager - which wasn't the case. He was on £1m in the 11/12 season and his salary dropped to £600k in the 12/13 season. There was no bonus for relegation. Facts. Still way more than he was worth and an utterly corrupt set up - I entirely agree with you.

There is even a provision in the contract of what salary Kean would be paid if we were relegated to League One. There was absolutely no incentive for him to get relegated though.