This was the email message I sent to Mike Cheston about the appointment of Owen Coyle, and I now know that he has read it. Dear Mike I hope this finds you well, and refreshed after your holiday. I have supported the Rovers since 1970 and seen all the lows and highs we have had during that period. We are lucky enough to have experienced some unforgettable highlights, though we are obviously enduring leaner times these days. For the past 20+ years I have made the 450 mile round trip from Glasgow, having ‘emigrated’ there for work purposes, though sadly in these days of Sky TV and with the large number of midweek fixtures in the Sky Bet Championship, I am restricted to Saturday afternoon games and gave up my season ticket a couple of years ago. I normally get to 10 – 15 games every season. Very rarely during these 46 years as a supporter have I felt the need to write to the club, but events since Paul Lambert’s tenure as manager have compelled me to contact you for some clarification on certain matters. Before I get into that can I stress that this is absolutely nothing personal against Owen Coyle, a man who I have met on occasions and whose immediate family (wife and sister) actually taught both of my children in Bishopbriggs. He seems a decent man, and I also have no problem with the fact that he has managed Burnley (or Bolton for that matter) or even that he appeared to criticise the Rovers fans' ‘treatment’ of Steve Kean a few years ago. Playing for or managing rival clubs has always been part and parcel of football and it's not as if he supports the Clarets or even left them on good terms. Sticking up for Kean was no doubt partly LMA solidarity and partly because he actually does know Steve personally. That said, I think it was a brave/reckless* decision to appoint such a divisive figure, at a time when the club should be doing everything in its power to unite an already fractured fan base. *delete as necessary However, I do have concerns over Owen Coyle’s previous links to SEM and/or Kentaro and they have not been assuaged by Owen completely denying any knowledge of SEM during his first interview as Rovers manager. There appears to be strong evidence to the contrary available and I think it would be hugely helpful for a statement to be put out by the club clarifying this matter, because in this age of social media the perception of a link to a previous situation at the club is growing arms and legs by the day. Until that perception is removed (assuming it can be) then Owen will have no chance of being accepted by a significant proportion of the fan base here at Ewood Park. We had to endure a previous situation where manager and supporters were practically enemies when Steve Kean was promoted beyond his capabilities, and I fear it would finish the club off for good were it to happen again. Leaving that aside, I also have some concerns about the process of Owen’s recruitment, and I know that many long standing supporters – and as a finance man yourself you’ll understand that these are paying customers of the club - are similarly mystified by it. These are the concerns I have: 1. On the basis that Owen Coyle himself said he had been approached in relation to the post (and not the other way round) and the aforementioned suspected previous links with him and SEM/Kentaro – despite his denial of any knowledge of SEM - were they or any of their offshoot organisations involved in the recruitment of Mr Coyle, the approach to Mr Coyle or the advising of the owners/club to approach him? The ability to answer this question openly and put supporters’ minds at rest is crucial. 2. Mr Coyle does not seem to fit the person specification for the position as outlined publicly by your good self. He is, in fact, the polar opposite of what the club was supposed to be looking for in respect of bringing through young players - this is not Owen Coyle's forte. 3. The club, according to your interview with the Lancashire Telegraph, had supposedly carried out all the manager interviews before you went on holiday on 20th May. This was before Owen Coyle had even left his job in the USA, which was announced on 25th May. Could you please explain how this was possible. 4. If the answer to Q3 is that he became available after the four initial interviews had been completed and the club subsequently decided to approach him, his record over the past 6 years simply does not stand up to any scrutiny. How does this make him the best candidate for the job? While one couldn't expect you to go as far as to name the other four candidates, can you confirm that they have an even worse recent record than Owen Coyle (who has roughly a 33% win ratio over his last three jobs, one of which was at a significantly lower level than the Football League Championship)? If so that speaks volumes about the current state of Blackburn Rovers Football Club. As if the previous manager activating a ‘get out’ clause – almost unprecedented I would suggest – wasn’t enough to send a negative message out to any wannabe managers. As a long standing supporter of the club, who has to travel long distances even for home games, I am on the verge of withdrawing my support after 46 years, if the above questions cannot be answered satisfactorily, and I know for certain that there are many more people who feel the same way. While we have to accept that, as far as results and which division the club plays in goes, there is nothing guaranteed and we are certainly not entitled to enjoy top flight football at Ewood Park forever and a day, football doesn’t work like that other than for the super rich clubs, but the ‘dumbing down’ of the club since the Venkys assumed ownership has been painful, to say the least. Not helped by the contemptuous way they seem to be treating supporters with their lack of communication, and their apparent scant regard for their views. I certainly don’t envy the person who takes on the recently advertised liaison role, that’s for sure! I’m not necessarily expecting a personal or direct response to this email Mike, I would imagine you’ll be inundated with similar emails and from the outside looking in you would appear to be doing enough multitasking as it is, but it would be good if the points I have raised could be addressed somehow. Kind regards, and good luck in your new role.

Kirsty McColl - There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis

The Electric Light Orchestra - Mr Radio

Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove

Always thought you were a bit on the camp side.

The O'Jays - Now That We Found Love

Paul Weller - Remember How We Started

The Housemartins - I Smell Winter

The Jam - Away From the Numbers Beggars belief that this is almost 40 years old.........

I've yet to come across a religion that doesn't manipulate.

The Housemartins - Five Get Over Excited

No, I don't really think they were Stuart. At that stage Coyle would have little idea of how PL's Rovers would have played, style-wise and I do think he was just outlining his philosophy - he said similar things when appointed at Bolton and Wigan if I recall correctly. Funnily enough that was one of my biggest criticisms of Lambert actually, his classless digs at his predecessor early in his tenure (a couple of which came back to bite him on the arse)

The Specials featuring Rico Rodriguez - A Message to you, Rudy

Spot on, the spectators are the last people to be considered when they introduce these crackpot rules, which incidentally only ever seem to be applied in England, and to Lancashire. Robbed!

Lancs getting hammered again in today's T20. Our net run rate must be woeful with the three absolute thumpings we've endured in our first three games. Edit - Lancs at least making a late fist of it but it would be the collapse of all time if Notts don't win!

Paul Weller - That Dangerous Age (For old Jam fans like me, his mid life update of When You're Young)

Most popular muslim ever in the western world? He made a couple of very powerful speeches about Islam that ring so very true to this day, and its worth recounting part of one of them here: "The word 'Islam' means 'peace.' The word 'Muslim' means 'one who surrenders to God.' " RIP The Greatest

Neil Young - Unknown Legend

Shack - The Girl With the Long Brown Hair

Seasick Steve - Yellow Dog

The Jam - Boy About Town

Traffic - Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Yorkshire bat like that on a regular basis. They have guys coming in lower down the order who can score heavily with the softer, older ball. If the weather holds I can see Lancs being about 80-100 short tomorrow. Peterson is a massive player for us in this situation.

The Beatles - Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite

Prefab Sprout - One of the Broken