First memory - Sat on Mum's shoulders at the bottom of the old Nuttall St stand, watching us at some point in the early to mid-80s. The shirt was shiny and it was very exciting.

Favourite memory - Rushing home after my first term away at university, several hours on a train from Swansea just in time to get to Burnley for the 2-0 win, the first derby for 17 years.

To be player of the decade, they need to have played for more than a couple of seasons. Dack's on 2.5 so not enough for me. That rules out so many players, especially the remainder of the Premier League squad. Realistically, that leaves Rhodes or Graham as long-serving quality players who massively affected our overall fortunes. I'll go with Rhodes although I really respect Graham for his contributions and the way he has gracefully handled his easing out of the team on a number of occasions.

On a side note, I had hoped to find inspiration in players of the season winners and was shocked to see that Tugay only won it once, Shearer twice whilst Hendry won three times across 10 years. Some of the names to have beaten them are mind-blowing and a reminder of how much of a team game it really is.

I can honestly say that would be the best Christmas present EVER. For someone else obviously.

20 minutes ago, Wegerleswiggle said:

Just ordered 2 adult home shirts, 1adult away shirt, 1 junior 3rd kit and 2 infant away kits for Christmas.

Now I'm thinking I had better get some overtime in.

Never mind overtime, you'd be better off discovering the secrets of alchemy and turning iron into gold...

I remember a number of years ago there were player t-shirts. Garner, Tugay and Jack I think. Bruno Ribeiro cult ones too were definitely interesting. Now they were different. Unfortunately now, so is my waist and Tugay has to stay in the cupboard...

Just saw a tweet promoting the '1875' range of clothing. Despite my better judgement I clicked...

A drab collection of uninspiring greys, greens and beiges. I didn't notice but I assume they all have 1875 written on them.

This brings me to a wider point. When was the last time Rovers branded clothing actually impressed you? I'll make an exception for the retro kits (although this could be extended to lots more good years). To me, virtually everything in the shop is the same kind of navy blue, grey, generic clothing with an indistinct badge on them. Nothing genuinely desirable. Nothing in blue and white halves bar the home shirt. Even the beanie hats are all blue. Where is the love for our own unique colour scheme? I lost my Rovers hat a fair few years ago which was simple blue and white halves with a crest. I've been looking for another ever since but nothing.

Fair comment or am I getting older with no knowledge of current fashion?

3 hours ago, Hasta said:

A revelation? I'd hate to see our defensive record this season if he had been poor !!

 

Oh alright, a revelation in comparison to the stinking garbage that was him at left back all these years.

I would argue that Williams' move was a revelation. So good in fact that he's unlikely to play CB for us again (bit naughty but the irony is delicious).

With the possible exception of Hull or Charlton, the most uninteresting, depressing draw possible. I would have gone to almost any away game save Brighton or Bournemouth away. Not this one.

Fylde, Forest Green or Newport for me (all away obviously). Wouldn't mind a weekend in Swansea for old time's sake.

Looking at Stoke fans' reactions to the team, Vokes is not on their Christmas card list. That makes me very worried...

12 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Unlike you I don't attend home games so cannot judge how representative posters on this board are of fans inside the ground. Apparently today there were some chants along the lines of "sort it out" . But maybe as we won the match most of those will conclude that he did sort it out and have gone home happy ? 

I don't often post on here but attend all home games and many away. From experience of ear-wigging conversations, the only people who don't regularly moan about poor management and non-sensical substitutions are the away <I only go to get boozed/drugged up> fans who don't really notice the football. People were VERY angry (by Riverside standards) yesterday about the garbage play with numerous boos directed at Mowbray for his substitutions and no-one I noticed on the walk up Livesey Branch Road went home happy. If they did, they did it quietly.

The Dacks, Holtbys and Grahams of this world deserve better than to be captained and managed by such dross. Real anger is beginning to stir at Ewood but a win tonight kept a lid on it. A loss to Brentford and it's going to blow. The ONLY comments I heard walking home were groans and moans at Mowbray or Bennett (or both) apart from one knuckle-dragger swearing at his 'mate' down a phone.

What struck me most about this game was the pedestrian nature of our play and the almost total lack of shots. What does that remind you of?!

City constantly moved about so as to receive the ball in space. We passed it tight along the line and hoped the ball got through the defender's legs, invariably ending up stood still trying to prevent a throw-in. I lost count of the amount of times our player took a touch into what he thought was space but a City midfielder ran in and stole it.

Overall, a team of average to poor quality players who should not trouble the first team any time soon.

3 hours ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

Fans Forum meeting minutes

 

https://www.rovers.co.uk/contentassets/d47edf0f19cd47dea3a73e898f8da69c/ff-minutes-5.11.19.pdf

 

 

The overwhelming I get from reading them and previous ones is that every common sense suggestion is always met by: "Oh well that would need a lot of change and/or organisation."

WELL THEN CHANGE/ORGANISE IT YOU USELESS SODS!

Have to agree that Chapman looked extremely poor, nowhere near the standard of JRC or Butterworth. Rather than pushing for the first team, he appeared the kind of lost soul soon for the 'we wish him well' bin.

In terms of overall play, we appeared to be trying to pass quickly then play the through ball into the channels. This kind of worked but needed a finisher. We didn't have one. Set pieces were a complete waste of time. Therefore we didn't score. Football is quite a simple game sometimes!

If you read that article it claims to know about a group of Rovers fans who don't want this takeover as their club would 'loose' its identity. Absolute horse**** pretending to be journalism.

Direct quote: "most of Rover’s fans are keen on the idea of becoming rich club."

Some child with access to Google translate had a dream last night after watching old Premiership highlights...

Honestly not even that annoyed. I feel nothing for this team. We have 'slowly built' from Coyle's team to a team with no resilience, a dodgy keeper and a out-of-touch manager likely on his last run. Pathetic.

Do I actually believe the club claiming an injury? No. That in itself is a sign that something has gone very wrong between us and our club.

As a season ticket holder, I got one.

Got to say the emphasis on 'matchday experience' is barking up the wrong tree for me. People go (or don't go) to Ewood to watch the football. If that bit is dull then no amount of tacky Fanzones or lounges will cover it. My favourite away experiences have often been at grotty hovels not shiny new stadia (a wet Grimsby evening in our promotion season stands out). There was an energy based on a team to be passionate about and fans responded. Who can get passionate over a Striker's Lounge or Fosters under a blue and white marquee?

Having been to a fair number of away grounds this season, I'd normally be up for a half-term midweek trip but the dross served up recently has stopped me. I can't shake the idea that Holtby will be dropped and Gallagher back in ("He's not quite up to our speed yet and 3 games in 1 week comes a bit early" - Boring Tony). Worse still, I can see us failing to get more than 2 or 3 shots off at their goal as we continue to 'dominate' possession.

It was only his first start because Mowbray was too cautious to start him weeks ago!

I think the boos around the ground when Holtby was subbed would have been much louder without the stunned silence upon Travis being hooked too. I just don't understand the thinking behind that double change. How could it possibly have made things better?

Gross tactical incompetence is killing any hope we ever had of progressing be it in team selection, formation or substitutions. Everything seems designed to negate our obvious strengths and reinforce our glaring weaknesses.

No more debate now. Mowbray has to go if we even aspire to the play-offs (never mind promotion).