GHR

In decades to come when some bod in Blackburn Museum is leafing through a box of old photographs from Rovers' 150th birthday, they'll probably spend most of the time wondering why everyone was waving plastic snakes about. Knowing our luck it will stick like the black cat in Sunderland's old team pictures and we'll get nicknamed the Adders or something.

I for one cannot wait for Google Arsenal Cannons vs. Microsoft Manchester Blues at the Super Awesome Life Insurance Arena in Kansas City in the 2035 Premier League. Americans will love this and old boys from Islington or Gorton who stood on the terraces at Highbury or Maine Road back in the 1960s should dry their misty eyes and be grateful some lads in Jakarta can watch it now. Of course, us Rovers fans will all have found other pursuits as the Great Franchising Act of 2032 saw Blackburn Rovers FC disbanded and moved to a field in Bedfordshire, as the newly established Disneyland UK were looking for a sporting outlet to boost marketing. Legacy fans will be gently encouraged to follow the remaining franchise in Lancashire, Red Rose Thunder, based out Deepdale in Preston, whose former North End FC were flogged to Quito as apparently Ecuadorians were mad into the English game and wanted in on the financial spoils. Those fans who can't quite get into the half time show, featuring Beyonce and Mariah Carey doing a reprise of the set they performed at Ineos Red Devils v. Todd Boely FC in Doha last week, will be welcome to tune into Sky's half time show, featuring Cole Palmer analyse Yamal's shitting patterns with the lucidity and thoughtful insight of a drunk toddler. Full steam backwards comrades.

Franchised clubs and closed leagues (i.e. no promotion or relegation) are also popular in American sport. I wonder if those such things were proposed over here, would they get the same positive reception from some quarters on the basis of broadening the game's appeal and appealing to overseas audiences...?

Why does football need such drives to increase its popularity? Its financial value is higher than most country's GDP and it is most probably singlehandedly the most popular recreational interest on the planet.

As a general rule of thumb, and not just for sport, I find it best to look at whatever pleases Americans and head firmly in the opposite direction.

Two excellent analogies there. Exactly how it feels!

The two comments beneath that video... 😑 The biggest conflict I have in all this is that the vast majority of Rovers fans deserve the club we were between 1875 and 2010, but a minority deserve all the utter shite that has come our way this past 15 years. They'd arrive home to find their partners shagging someone else and apologise for disturbing them.

Saw word on Reddit from a PNE fan who has allegedly seen theirs and apparently we are at Deepdale on 22 Nov and they are at Ewood on 21 Feb. Can confirm in 23 minutes!

Decent little ground that. I was there a few years ago and it still had a classic mid-terrace wall for pissing behind at one end. Happier, simpler times, etc.

Knew I shouldn't have tried to be clever and use Latin!

12.30 away at Swansea on the opening day, Rovers fans to be reminded ad infinitum that this is what everyone wanted, hence the TV deal. Southampton away to be a noon kick off on a Sunday in the middle in January. Cannot wait.

Only rumour I have heard is we will play each team once at home and once away.

Lovely little ground is Shawbridge. Club house is decent too from my hazy memory of proceedings 😁 Unless I am misremembering, is that four homes in four years for Rovers Women now? Bamber Bridge, Lancs FA, Ewood and now Clitheroe?

Only just occured to me, who actually buys adult shorts and socks?

By extension then, none of us are an expert on anything. Close the forum, there's nowt to discuss as we must trust whatever happens is true and fair.

Don't forget training top, training hoodie, travel bag, walk out jacket, warm up trackies, leg-only socks, and branded gloves, that doubtless must have home, away and third versionss and maybe even seasonal variants (can't be expected to wear the warm weather gear in a UK February), all of which change on an annual basis. Maybe a fourth edition too if they play in a certain location or tournament. For all the social awareness on green issues everyone apparently has now, it doesn't seem to stop cluba producing a load of needless shite.

I don't know if they can do BCD for competitive matches, but in the last few years the likes of Bristol City and West Ham have had their women's teams play at their training grounds as standard. Is Brockhall set up for hosting spectators? Maybe something at UCLan? Seems York City and Durham Cestrians in Rovers's new division play on university facilities.

Our Women's team starting Venky's reign of terror at the top table of English women's football and 15 years into it being in the same division as the second best team in Durham really does sum the whole wretched affair up.

"Internal discussions with relevant club staff will now take place regarding the structure of the Women’s team going forward." In other words, what's the bare minimum we can get away with, minus about 10% on top.

That would be even worse for the marketing, their old ground is now Hanley's main shopping centre. At least a garden and a wall and some trees is better than the benches outside the food court.

If Saudis (or any other morally abhorrent regime) bought Rovers, that'd be me done, I don't give a shit if they turned us into Man City or Real Madrid, I want nothing to do with it. What profits a man who gains the world but sells his soul?

I think you're having the better day so far. 18-0 down and 15 played. Haven't had a sniff since the deadlock was broken. Can tell Crus are top.

In a drizzly Colwyn Bay today as a neutral for Crusaders v. Rochdale. Thankfully the stand is high as well as covered, as I have forgotten my glasses so wouldn't have seen a thing pitchside 🙃

Indeed. I wonder how many Wigan Athletic fans would trade their FA Cup victory for having stayed in the PL that year...

Get it right up Villa. Horrid club and wretched fans. I shall be walking into my work office in the West Midlands tomorrow beaming like the Cheshire Cat (we work bank holidays before anyone says anything!) Lest they forget the goal they conceded that never was - because of a goal-line tech fuck up - in the 19-20 Covid season at home vs. Sheff United, that had it been corrected awarded would have seen them relegated at the season's end.