Just had a call from my sister who lives in Lower Darwen. She was having a stroll around and bumped into this oldish guy she'd talked to a few times before. He got chatting and said he'd just been for a walk around Ewood Park. My sister said 'My brother's a massive Rovers fan'. He said 'I used to play for them -send him my best wishes'. Turned out to be Bobby Svarc. Sis said he looked as fit as a fiddle and is a really nice bloke.

Remember seeing him play, but according to Jackman it was a brief Rovers career.

19 minutes ago, bazza said:

Spoiler.........

I see it's half time and this forecasted goalfest hasn't produced one yet.

So what did I have a bet on? Both teams score and a Bayern win.

Why do I bother? I think they are laughing at me behind their masks every time I go into William Hills. Fair do's really.

10 hours ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

? Have you subscribed. I'm really miffed I'm going to have to pay to read badly spelt shite. I can do that on here for free ?

However, as a Rovers obsessive I can't bear not to know absolutely everything that goes on at the club. I'm going to have to pay. Owned by the LT ?

Badly spelt shite. Are you being ironic?

1 hour ago, JoeH said:

Marshall would have been a great addition, mentioned his name about 100 pages ago. We're really playing this season with The Fish in net aren't we?  

Would that be Billy the Fish from Viz? Great keeper - suit the Rovers perfectly as he doesn't actually exist.

What about the old, probably apocryphal one that Tommy Docherty used to tell - When he was a kid he got signed up by Preston when they still had Tom Finney playing for them. At some point later on he was offered the fantastic salary of 20 quid a week in the season and 10 quid a week in the close season (used to happen then, kids). He said 'No, I want 20 quid a season and 20 quid close season' The manager said 'Only Tom Finney gets 20 quid a week in the close season, and he's a much better player than you'. Docherty said 'Not in the close season, he's not'.

Gordon Lee when he was at Everton took them for pre-season training in Tunisia or Morocco. A Brit journo asked him what it was like doing the pre-season in Africa and he replied "Bloody hell, we're not in Africa are we?"

And I have a vivid memory of seeing Billy Wilson (played alongside Keith Newton at full back, for some of our younger readers) being driven round Blackburn as second man on a fruit and veg delivery van in the close season. Also once saw Tom Finney in his plumber's van at the traffic lights at the bottom of Penny street. And, come to think of it, I also once tried to point out to anyone who was near me the sheer excitement I felt at seeing Simon Garner paying his leccy bill in the electricity showrooms when they were in the 'new' precinct.

We had to make our own entertainment in those days, you know.

3 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Make that 3 that don't play football manager.

What's football manager?

No, don't tell me.

I remember going to Ewood in the late 60s to see an England Youth International. I reckon 99% of the crowd were there to see our new wonderkid - Stuart Metcalfe.

Great Rover.

Can't really blame him if he was playing behind a back line of our four legged friends.

8 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

They are discussing Brentford in my paper today and I saw this quote " they possess the second best defence in the division, three masterful great Danes in midfield and arguably the league's finest goalkeeper in David Raya ". So we manage to go from selling arguably the best goalie in the league to loaning arguably the worst in the league.

Since when have Sky given a flying f@@k about the state of clubs in the 3 lower divisions?

They basically created the Premier League back in 1992 for their own nefarious ends - ie making shedloads of money from creating a TV programme, which is what the PL is. The days of real football, and a real football league have languished ever since.

1 hour ago, DE. said:

Neither Sky nor the PL wil benefit from lower league clubs and divisions going bust and the footballing pyramid being ruined. It would be a catastrophe both short and long-term for the game as it is established at present, so it is in the best interests of those with money to help out until such a time as things can return to some level of normality. I don't expect this to happen but it would be foolhardy for the clubs in the PL and Sky as a broadcaster to think that they will be completely shielded from the implosion of the lower leagues.

5 minutes ago, West Yorks Rover said:

I'll make a prediction, Bolton Wanderers will be back in the Premier League before Rovers are.

It may take them a while but they will be.

At the moment I can confidently predict that Accy Stanley will be in the Prem before Rovers are.

Just now, simongarnerisgod said:

Lee Bowyer is another I'd take ahead of Mowbray.

there would`nt be any automatic picks with him in charge,everybody would have to justify their place

 

Bit of a racist numbskull, unfortunately.

Can I have two vowels, a consonant, a vowel, two consonants and three vowels please, Carol?

Just read this in today's Guardian sports page - "....appears a man of principle,a person of moral as well as physical heft, but perhaps not so keen on nuance, either in approach or tactics. Having swiftly established his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, nothing could convince him to vary it. When games started poorly he seemed to offer nothing except for half-time rollickings; no game-changing substitutions, few changes of shape or emphasis. It seemed impossible for some players to lose their places in the starting X1, no matter how poor their form or even their fitness."

No, it's not. It's Nigel Pearson at Watford.

Who has just been sacked.

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Lot of goals about today apart from in most of  the games with anything riding on them.  Real end of season affairs.

What might have been with a half decent manager in charge.

And a goalkeeper.

And a board. And a CEO. And a plan. And an owner. And.... Ooh, I can't go on.

Lack of ambition these days  - What about the last decade? As regards next season, for the first time in more than fifty years I really don't think I will give a toss. Or even a quarter of a toss.

4 minutes ago, Doogs said:

Why am I not surprised we have let 3 in...A whole newback 4 needed...We will be in trouble next season. A lack of ambition at Ewood these days...

15 hours ago, toooldforthis said:

Just turned 60.  I was in the BBE that night as usual - didn't gravitate to the RS til my early twenties.  Saw nothing at all.  I remember that Birdy.  I used to stand a few rails and steps away from him.  In those days us kids could afford entry with our paper round money.  They need parents to pay for them these days.

I think Birdy once lived on Kidder Street. I recall coming out of the Blackburn End once after a home defeat and seeing Birdy standing in his doorway, casually toying with big spanner.

I think Leonard Venkhater hit the nail on the head by referencing Samuel Beckett- another thing he said was 'Ever failed. Try again.Fail again. Fail better'.

Surely Tony's mantra for life.

3 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Watching Rovers is like a Beckett play. Hopeless and pointless. Still, I will have to endure the 2nd half with Estragon, Pozzo and Godot...unless, of course, Mowbray decides to bring them on. Hell, he has paid millions for worse!

Don't forget Godot never actually turned up... Oh, I see what you mean.

Matt Jansen, Mark Hughes, Damien Duff, Brad Friedel, Henning Berg,David Dunn. What a team - which Division were they playing in? Oh yeah, the same one we are playing in now.

I think that's what you call a 'sobering thought'.

I misread that as Beamo.  I wish it was. And he was pretty shite.

Well, this is fantastic. I was feeling so confident of the result of tonight's match that I nipped out and put a century on a win.

Unfortunately I put it on Cardiff...

Amen to that. I went to The testimonial matches of Clayton and Douglas.