Anyone getting a train from Preston? I'm having to go on my own (poor me), and fancy a couple of beers, so don't want to drive. At the same time, not sure how safe I'll feel stood at Mill Hill station at half ten?

On another note, I went to watch Burnley on saturday. They weren't particularly impressive. I was stunned at how quiet there support was. Was going to go in my Rovers shirt- but glad I didn't in the end. While walking down to the ground managed to get in the middle of about 40 burnley chavs.

Andy Kilderry

TSI = 740 , 19 years, passable form

Has disastrous experience and passable leadership abilities

Stamina: wretched Keeper: disastrous

Playmaking: wretched Passing: weak

Winger: weak Defending: excellent

Scoring: poor Set Pieces: weak

Pretty happy with my youth pull this week. Been looking for an excellent defender all week too. Saves me a few quid.

"MATTEO WORRY FOR ROVERS" Thats a headline on Teamtalk. Nearly gave me a heart attack- thought he was going to be fit for a minute there . The good news is, he IS injured. I wish teamtalk wouldn't give miss-leading headlines.

rovermatt

its only a big game for the scottish league and for its Irish followers, anywhere else it is meaningless.

Christ its not even about pride its simply about religion, I know this as I have actually been to numerous old firm games having lived at Ibrox in the mid 80's.

Our own derby game on Sunday is every bit as big, but this has meaning, there is no religion its simply PRIDE and HATE about each others club.

I would take Rovers v Bumley over ANY other derby, but that is just me a wee simple laddie from Blackburn

I disagree. Surely the intensity (the central point of any derby game) is the thing that makes it so special? Yes the football may not be up to scratch, and certain reasons for the rivalry are distasteful, but the occasion and historical significance are second to none. These are the things that make derbies the games the are.

The claim that Sunday's cup tie (hardly a clash between footballing contemporaries) is bigger than the Old Firm game is slightly misguided.

What makes Rovers vs Burnley a bigger derby in my eyes is one simple fact. Rangers and Celtic play each other as many times in a season as Rovers play Burnley in 25 years. If you lose in the Old Firm, you lose the bragging rights for maybe 6 weeks. If we lose to Burnley- it could be 20 years before we play them again! Defeat is unthinkable!

"I tried to make it with Burnley but was nowhere near good enough."

Barry Kilby must have been one shocking footballer

I thought they judged the wealthiest clubs on their turnover rather than the strength of their overall financial position. Ie. You could be classed as the wealthiest club in the world because your turnover is huge, yet have less money to spend than say Charlton because your costs are a lot higher. Seems stupid, but thats how I understand it.

If anyone wants to know what our long term annual transfer budget might be? Here is a hint- we have now had two consecutive years of £11m amortisation on the player account.

Excellent summary Philip. Just one thing though, the transfer budget hint doesn't mean anything to me!

I worry that now the press are starting to praise MGP, he might get singled out for some early physical treatment in the derby. I remember when we won at the turf last time, Souness left Jansen on the bench because he thought Hughes and Bent would be a better physical threat. Although Souness got it right on that occassion, I hope Hughes doesn't leave MGP out for this reason. I'd love a 1-0 win with MGP scoring. The man would become fans favourite instantly.

I was gonna list 5, but then realised I didn't have five. I tend to watch out for teams results such as Blackpool and Luton cause of the ex-Rovers links. I also like to see Stanley doing well and Dumbarton because thats where my dad was born.

Gav, as the vote is now clearly rigged, I think you just use the ticket yourself. Need to show who the boss is hear mate.

Amo and Ferguson- and the Souness connection- and they stole Hendry- Rangers have shafted us over the last few years. I'm definitely behind Celtic and Sutton this weekend.

Why the hell anyone would make such a pathetic man a captain is beyond me. Basically, he wasn't good enough to make an impact in the premiership- so ran off home. Hope Celtic hammer them on Sunday!

"They had told me at Blackburn that this was it - this was the game that meant everything. Bolton Wanderers at The Reebok Stadium on 28 December, this was the derby Rovers wanted to win more than any other game.

Who the hell told him "This was it".

Despite the stats suggesting it was my teams best ever performanc last night, we lost 8-0 to a level 3 side. Their worst player (4 stars), was better than my best (3.5). At least I got 36,000 crowd- earning me a nice 120k. That's 200k of gate receipts this week. Well chuffed with that.

Sod the vote Gav. Just take the ticket- who wears the trousers in your house!

Wasn't Amo one of the main reasons we stayed up last season? He came back into the team and rovers started winning. Not forgetting he scored a free-kick for rovers which we have never done for about 10 years.

10 years is an exaggeration! Remember Hignett getting a couple (Stockport home, Bolton away in the first division) and Dunn scored in the FA Cup at the Reebok in the same season. That's just off the top of my head. I'd like to see us replace Amo with someone with a bit more pace- like my gran.

Desperate times require desperate measures. If I was you Gav, I'd register a few dozen new accounts on here and get yourself a few more votes.

I remember the lad walking into the lamp post. How the coach full of us laughed!

Another funny moment was Ronnie Jepson walking back towards the tunnel after warming up. He tried to do a "look at how cool I am" spit and managed to gob all down his tracksuit. Class.

I saw the guy walk in to the lamp post too! Absolutely class! Then when the Dingle tried to look all hard after warming up, and spat all over himself- brilliant.

"Football was better before they let women and posh people in" Frank Skinner. My votes gone to Gav, sorry Debs.

So i think its odds on we are going to keep a clean sheet.

You've gone and done now haven't you?

Jinxed the whole bloody show !!

someone had to say it

Go as a pantomime cow. Then you both get in!

I'm not going to tempt fate with a prediction (didn't make a prediction for either game in the promotion season). Whoever scores for us will become my hero, I'd love to see Stead or MGP getting the goals- but it doesn't really matter who gets them.

I got my first league win of the season yesterday too. Got an attendance of 18,500 against the worst team in my division- so looks like my big investment in the ground will pay off. Playing a level 3 team in the cup this week, putting out second string so will get hammered. PS. My youth pull was crap. TSI 100, best quality was inadequate scoring. I've got two solid and two passable strikers so its no good to me. One of my solid strikers has scored 12 goals in 9 games since I bought him- well worth the investment at level 6.

I think Teamtalk like him too- though not sure it's his football that they like

"With his willowy figure, mop of blond hair and Hollywood smile, Morten Gamst Pedersen looks more like the lead singer in a boy band than the in-form member of the Premiership's supposedly most-notorious purveyors of strong-arm tactics"