I've been to the arena but not to any hockey games. Taken there when I was about 4 years old (probably because it had just opened) and a few more times in late 90's. Ice skating isn't a natural talent. Read up on arena some time back. They don't seem to host much other than ice skating. There was a WWE event held in the 90's and another wrestling show was scheduled couple years back but promotion shut down. Also the band Status Quo also in the 90's played there. Hawks don't play at the highest level of hockey now. In 95-96 they did. 1000 away supporters at Manchester Arena in 1995 for the first British top flight televised hockey clash on Sky. Looks like Blackburn arena packed against same opposition in 1996 too. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6216650.manchester-storm-9---blackburn-hawks-12/ https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6210523.ice-hockey-blackburn-hawks-4-manchester-storm-17---bracknell-bees-4-blackburn-hawks-2/ Name was changed to Lancashire Hawks for one season in 97-98 when they were owned by Thenodrog. ?

Yeah and you said Woodgate should be given time. Look how that's worked out. Who'd have thought a guy who smashed a glass over his head wouldn't be a rousing success.

Poison would be harsh to describe Mowbray Magoo. More like a stimulant that clouds people's brains. Either to the extent they are too numb to see his faults or numb to his management skills.

Since they haven't had any choice but to resort to video/phone calls recently maybe they will realise it's quite sufficient.

That's been rumoured for some time. Big news at Rangers lately has been season ticket renewals and a deal with Castore who are major new players on the sportswear front. One of the major members within the corrupt UEFA cartel. Bayern, Man United, Juventus, Liverpool, etc. Real, Barcelona and Juventus have always been leading clubs (United, Liverpool and even Bayern not so much) in their respective countries so what are they so afraid of?

Stop mentioning that! Small town JH! SMALL TOWN!

Some clubs still taking votes for goal of season early (or late you could say) even though there's not going to be any presentations. Always seemed strange to me and even stranger now.

Lancashire. I bet Leeds fans don't refer to themselves as "a club in West Yorkshire".

You do know what site you're on right?

More fool them. To use an apt analogy if you're growing a field of red roses and some of them are diseased what do you do? You prune them. That would sum up those who attacked others for abusing Kean. You could say it sums up the ones who defended the Walker family.

...and sheep expect to be shepherded. Sometimes the only way of showing support is to voice disapproval over the direction things are taking. That's what I did (largely because of the man who's support transformed the club but it's coming up to 20 years and I've had just about enough of posting here) but you run the risk of becoming broken beyond repair. Like me though that would be an extreme case. For those who want Mowbray gone there's plenty of people who share your view. If most of the fans share your views or stick to certain principles (Rovers fans shift their views at a whim and lack principle) then I think it's worth supporting. Then again most of the fans wanted Kean gone and still got hounded by thick scum who drove them away.

Marketable talent with big personality but sod any youth who just want a "stepping stone". Sod the academy it wouldn't be impossible to have a first team at this level without them and you could only sign players on bosman. Marketing wise that could be a plus if you only sign players on lengthy contracts (mostly 28 year olds on a 2 year cycle) and no release clauses. Only hire managers over 65 (who will likely have extensive network of contacts) so there's less chance of them leaving. Give them 5 year contracts and replace them at the end of that term. Danny Graham hasn't worked out so bad has he? Only reason Tiugay and Friedel were not sold was because of their age. You could say "well what if they hired a manager like Kean". Well make sure they aren't complete assholes and if it goes a bit stale then it goes a bit stale. Still need (better) owners who would invest just enough to be competitive at Championship level. Why should anyone try to break the bank on FUP especially when people aren't even incensed by it. Is that taking a risk of being a "yo yo" club between Championship and L1? Yeah maybe it is but your way isn't any better. If Bilbao can get by only signing basque players and Union Berlin reached the Bundesliga (for years they wouldn't even pay transfer fees though that's been relaxed) what's impossible if you try hard enough? If you get into EPL and people feel the squad isn't good enough due to such signing policies replace all of them. That might be seen as unconventional but so what? Telling owners how much they can spend is unconventional and if people submissively accept that then why couldn't they accept this? You can have a future if you dare to be different. I would rather have players like Graham than players like Dack who are constantly linked with moves away. OK maybe Graham does not have an "outrageous personality" but if you allow players freedom at the very least they might not come across as corporate puppets. Not that I think Graham comes across that way anyhow. If there was ever a time to be unconventional and creative it's now. An attitude where the club says "we refuse to be used as a stepping stone". Is that really so bad? The club is being "held back" by refusing to listen to me just like many posters on here. If you take risks on signing policies and it works you might attract more fans who are attracted to a club that "does things it's own way". Every single one of you should copy/paste this (perhaps without the bit about Venkys as people at the club can't do anything about them besides encourage) and send it to the club perhaps via Lynsey Talbot. Then post a screenshot (black out name if you want) to prove it. That's what you should all be doing but you won't.

I haven't seen the game but it says that Leeds has 60% possession. That suggests being technically outclassed. Leeds and WBA are technically superior to most from what I've seen of them. I'm sure I recall Rowett admitting as such when Millwall lost to both of them. People can accept honesty whereas consensus here seems to be Mowbray is talking rubbish. Rovers and Fulham had a technical gulf over rest of the division back in 2000/01.

I've said this club (and many others) could use edgier marketing and appointing a psychotic thug isn't exactly poles apart from that. I don't see how you could use the tired "family club blueprint" and have someone like that as the face of the club at same time. OK Rovers tried to sign him years ago (even with bitter jealousy about "buying success" Rovers were never portrayed as a vile club under Jack's ownership whereas even most biased media could hardly deny United's arrogance and Ferguson's vile temper) but he was mellower at Forest in comparison to Man United where he gradually became one of the most hated players in the country and rightly so. He might kick Ferguson out though ?

Well at least it wasn't something with mega wealth and a lot of ambition. ?

One thing people overlook though is that Revie died of a horrible disease and the FA still snubbed him. Then they try to shove blatant Man United favortism down their throats. Jack Walker didn't get a mandated minutes silence at other grounds. Busby was no saint either (though nowhere near the lowlife Ferguson is) look at how some of the plane crash survivors were treated shabbily by the club. I bet when Ferguson dies they will force clubs to adhere to tributes but you won't hear Rovers fans chanting Jack Walker's name in protest. Rather be brainwashed that Man United's heroes should be treated with a reverence denied to others. This article sums up their thinking and I agree with a lot of it. Very few on here would be so visceral and passionate in Jack Walker's honour. https://roblufc.org/2014/05/26/one-don-revie-why-we-were-right-to-sing-through-a-minutes-silence-for-matt-busby/

Indeed they were nothing until the 60's but Don Revie is...well...revered. Maybe he was a crook (not that it stopped the FA making him England manager so their grudge was obviously down to his departure for UAE job) but their respect for him goes way beyond anything Jack Walker receives here in my opinion. The mentality Revie built the club around to a certain extent exists to this day. If Revie had "think BIG" as his motto there would be banners and flags all over the place. Not sugercoating them (ignoring for instance that Revie's own wife said he would have hated the Busby incident) but there are some things other clubs could learn from them on a mentality standpoint.

What was "left" of inheritance must be substantial. Should be grateful for that. Whelan's family probably wouldn't exert sole corrupt influence over a trust fund though. You would really have to be the lowest from of grasping scum to do that. Considering Whelan made the disgusting comment that Jack had "saddled his family" with Rovers presumably he does not want to "saddle" his own.

Jack Walker expanded it. All the club did after his death was to quit marketing across Lancashire and constantly beat people over the head with "small town this, small town that". There's only so many times people can point this out and how ludicrous that marketing approach was. There's no hope for the brainwashed.

What if that's because they were driven out despite being right about many things? Certainly the core reason I joined this forum 15 years ago. Maybe 14 years too many. It's coming up to 20 years since Jack died. What am I supposed to do still be on here 50 years from now saying "well Jack would have liked this" or "Jack would have preferred his family not stabbing him in the back". I've sacrificed enough of my time and effort. Even my Mum said to me "this obsession with the Walker family has taken over your life but you don't even go anymore". How twisted is that? That's not support it's borderline schizophrenic. People say all I do is criticise fans what about those I've defended for being anti-Venkys and attacking the scum in media who backed Kean? I can't abide total injustice even when the same people have attacked me on other issues. I know none of this stuff is going to happen here (the staff are too lazy for one thing and what the owners know about marketing could be written on a matchbox) it's fantasy but surely one club will take a radical approach. Especially with FUP and what's happened in last few months.

You can still be hostile to other teams, players, etc. One of my first moves would be to issue a public ban on anyone who's spoken badly of the past. Ferguson was one person mentioned. What about the scum who defended Kean (including Ferguson) like Redknapp, Moyes, etc. Put them on the ban list and tell everyone they are on it. What use are fans who criticise the slightest mistake? Once you ban them once (it wouldn't have to be permanent on a first strike) that might be enough for the message to sink in. Who knows they might actually start to enjoy sitting through a game without being a negative cancer on the fans around them.

Has applied for CITY CHALLENGE. How many times do people have to say this before it sinks in? Brainwashed isn't too strong a word. Stuff like this has driven me nearly insane in the past. By being totally different to other clubs perhaps you can EXPAND the catchment area? Is that such a novel concept?

Or how about big club in a big town? This is the type of people I'm talking about on other thread. People who hold the club back and force other fans out telling lies and belittling anyone who objects. Anyone saying stuff like this would be banned from Ewood on my watch. Would that get rid of many people on here? Suppose it would. Good.

I've mentioned taking steps to avoid attracting hooligans, etc. OK being monitored on CCTV may not be cool but it's the way to weed put hooligans, racists, etc. Maybe hire stewards who actually do their damn job. You need to get rid of the negative types who abuse other fans (the people for instance who drove out many of the anti-Kean protesters) or abuse other fans for what appearance, clothing, etc. I don't want to be too "politically correct" either (banning kids hardly fits that category) but if you allow drums, horns, etc without someone next to you whining about the noise people will be attracted to that. Ban anyone who is a negative influence on the atmosphere. I'm not saying everyone has to sing (some people don't because they are shy) but you don't have to be a negative, whining influence who only comments to suck any positivity out of the people around them. I've heard Union Berlin have zero tolerance on people like that. OK maybe if the team is losing 5-0 have some leeway where that's concerned but scapegoating certain players for a misplaced pass 2 mins into a game...get lost.

Because if you build the perception of being edgy, cool and rather controversial they will be attracted to a different kind of atmosphere. Kids like what's forbidden to them and young adults aren't too far removed from that. There's no such thing as a "family club" and while football may be sanitised look at all the swearing, vulgar chants, etc. You take away the pressure of having footballers act like role models (and give them certain boundaries that aren't allowed at other clubs) and having kids brainwashed by players who don't really give a toss about them. At least if you get older and you are attracted to a different marketing approach you can make that decision for yourselves. Of course if you're more careful about the type of players you bring in (and lengthier contracts designed to stop them leaving or academy players who just leech off the club) they would be attracted to that as well. People say it would "hold the club back". Well so be it if you can't find 16 players across Europe (and beyond) who might be Championship calibre (who should sign for extra freedoms but certain contractual conditions) then you're obviously not looking hard enough. People say "oh you're holding the club back" by narrowing the talent pool.that's all people on here do anyway. Hardly anyone hates FUP and even the most basic or slightly radical ideas are ignored never mind stuff like this. Only signing basque players hasn't hurt Athletic Bilbao that much. OK it's possible they could have won more with different signing policy but they have never been relegated. A lot of adults don't want to babysit their kids during a football match. Why is the atmosphere considered to be better at away games? One of the reasons is there's less kids there.