You & me both @Mercer!

Oops, sorry @tomphil; my erm 'joke' fell flat when I saw your actual prediction!🤔 That's what can happen when there seems to have been a close season, what with the Queen’s passing and the international break. It'll be good to have another six weeks of concentrated League football before the World Cup. I fear a fairly dour game with us winning 1-0.

We'll struggle to get that many goals tomorrow, specially the way Millwall play.😉

Thanks very much, @Herbie6590.

I'm convinced that I was born with a collecting gene. As a kid 60-odd years ago now it was train numbers, stamps and football programmes. However, in much more recent times and, as a result of having to move into semi-sheltered accommodation, I've had to pass most of my collection of Rovers' programmes to a fellow season ticket-holder who also collects to give them a good home. However, once a collector, always a collector; and now that postcards have gone out of style as a souvenir, I've turned to mugs as a reminder of places I've visited. Plus - of course - several Rovers-related mugs. What I wondered was whether any of the mugs in the photo associated with the article above are still on sale; and if so, where?

Imagine my surprise on reading this headline in the Sports section of Today's Times Newspaper's Online edition: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/toxic-reign-of-these-unworthy-owners-cannot-end-soon-enough-v9drthvhv Only to find it was on top of an article about Worcester Warriors RUFC. I should have guessed it would be about the 15-a-side game!

Off-topic, I know; but that's not very Green of you, @chaddyrovers!

I totally agree with that analysis, up to the final paragraph. For some reason, I just reckon that Tuesday night's result will have given the team confidence to take the Luton bully boys on and think - hope? pray? - we'll win by the odd goal in 3.

I hate writing in this vein; but I fear that Watford will gives us a right tonking - not a Fulham-last-season tonking - but the kind of defeat that Bristol City, if they'd taken their chances, could have given us. It's games like this that remind me of JDT's reminder that, as far as he and Gregg are concerned, the BRFC "Project" isn't one to produce overnight results, but will take 2 or 3 Transfer Windows to bear full fruit. So, more like the "Johnny Carey" gradual improvement over 3 or 4 seasons in the 1950s than Uncle Jack's strengthening of the team. (Although, to be fair, that was under way - with the arrival of Tony Dobson and Steve Livingstone - before the national media became aware of this upstart team taking the Premiership - as it then was - by storm.) It's a weird looking scoreline; but I reckon it'll be something like Rovers 1, Watford 4.

Is it a mark of how, erm, "unpredictable" our season's been so far; or that there's no midweek game; that all the recent posts have been about where to drink in Wigan? Just wondering!

A really good post, imo, @blue_and_white. It bears out my experiences following the Rovers, particularly over the last 50 years. Because I'd been working in Rochdale for since 1975, I moved to live there in 1981 and have lived in various parts of Rochdale Met. Borough until early this year. Until 2007, when I took early retirement on health grounds, getting over to Ewood wasn't much of a problem. However, when I took early retirement, I also stopped driving and started coming over to Ewood by public transport. Which because of their timetables, mean that I had to leave home on the 11.15 am bus to be sure of getting to Ewood in - plenty of - time for the kick-off. Getting the next bus an hour later would often find me on a bus between Darwen Circus and Ewood when the game started. So there were Saturdays when I'd miss a home game because I hadn't got my act in gear soon enough. Attending evening kick-offs at Ewood also became virtually impossible because the last bus to Bolton went past the ground during half time! I moved back to live in Blackburn earlier this year; and while I can't honestly claim that I did so simply to make attending home games easier, those who know me will know it was quite a significant influence in my choice! Since returning to the fold, I've noticed that there are more people of South Asian heritage in the Riverside as spectators than I remember from the days, probably 6 seasons ago, when I last had a season ticket. That shows that at least one of the club’s initiatives, which always seem to gain kudos from the non-sporting media, is beginning to pay off. Like many such initiatives, it's one which will take some time to pay off, if it ever does. What it's easy for old beggars like me to forget is how long ago were those glory days at the time the Premier League was founded. Our memories of winning the Premier League are now nearly 30 years ago; it will be beyond 2050 before many of the young Blackburners of South Asian heritage who are, perhaps, in their first season of watching the Rovers have memories of similar vintage. But that doesn't mean, imo, that the decision-makers should ease up on their efforts to demonstrate that the club is open to all Blackburners, irrespective of the colour of their skin. It would be instructive, I believe, to learn from clubs like Leicester City as to what steps they, in what I'm fairly sure is the most ethnically diverse city in the country, have taken to attract fans of various heritages to their stadium. Another initiative I'd like to see - and this one would require some sort of co-operation with the football authorities - is whether Blackburn Rovers Ladies could play their home games at Ewood on Saturdays when the first (men's) team's playing away. Not just Rovers, obviously; most of the top level women's teams seem to play their games at grounds of League Two or National League clubs. Given that three of the recently successful Lionesses took early steps in their careers - again attracting favourable comment from the regional media - with Blackburn Rovers, couldn't the club investigate whether the people running women's football nationally whether the fixtures in the women's Leagues could be scheduled for Saturdays when the men's teams are playing away. It might be unimportant for the Chelseas of this 21st Century world; but for smaller clubs like Rovers, it might stop the drain of fans which @blue_and_white foresees.

Certainly nowhere near as long as we did. I'll bet their Board won't put up with what we've tolerated. His excuses will be seen for what they are. (And I'm one who cut him some slack for longer than many on here did.)

... or Early-onset Alzheimer's.😦

Is there really nobody else than Travis we can afford to play right-back today/for as long as Britton's out? I don't know much about how Bristol Rovers play; but they don't have a good record on the road yet. In recent years that would have been a cue for a Moggasaurus selection that would have been totally wrong for the day. I can't see JDT ever being so weak. I think that, once Britton's fit, the back 4 should pick itself. It almost feels like we're spoiled for choice in midfield and up front, so let's hope we kick on from that win on Wednesday and consolidate our place in the top 6 above the team that can't play till the final whistle!

Wow; Albion v. Birmingham being played at night; can't be much rivalry there. Can't imagine Mr. Plod would allow t'Classico to start at 8.00.

Oh dear; hope your phone's: i) on mute; ii) set to this page, so you can surreptitiously keep up-to-date! 😉

I'd have hoped that work had already begun.

Just one other thought; about 10 days or a fortnight ago, the mood seemed to have dropped from the euphoria which I - and many others, no doubt - certainly felt when JDT's appointment was announced. That certainly came from left field; as have many of our new squad members. And suddenly there's a spring in my step again! But let's not kid ourselves, tomorrow's game will be a tough one. Nigel Pearson's no mug as a manager; Bristol City are only one point and a couple of places below us; they've scored in every game this season so far. They'll be no walkover; tomorrow's game will give us an indication of how far we've come this season and how well-equipped we are for the remainder of the season. Or at least until the midwinter transfer window opens!

Or start Sunderland's for them, maybe? After all, it's a phenomenon their manager's used to!

I know what you mean, @AllRoverAsia; and this is why I can't understand the incomprehension @chaddyroverssays he has for those of us who compare the progress the club makes season on season. However, if I may suggest, beating the Mackems at their place - and Ewood, obvs! - and topping that Lancashire mini-League will only be the mark of a "good" season for me. A "Very good" season will see what feels like a re-booted Rovers in the play-offs; an excellent season will see us back in the Premier League. But Rome wasn't built in a day; so, with no disrespect, @AllRoverAsia , I hope JDT has the team prepared for my definition of a very good season rather than yours!

He seems an intellgent lad, and doubtless remembers how he struggled in his first couple of seasons. Compared with the fees being bandied about these days, £7 million's nothing (!!); but it must have been a bit of a millstone round his neck in his early days here. The club - and we fans - stuck by him then; his attitude now feels like him acknowledging that. I bet he's pleased by the little gestures like the Chilean flag draped over the front of the JWU at each home game.

No longer our problem, thank goodness. As followers of a club in the self-styled "Hotbed of soccer", the Mackem fans will soon let their Board know what they think of Mogga-man's "philosophy".

But surely an improvement on what we've endured for the past five summers.

It's a pity that the only one of my friends to support the Mackems passed away a couple of months ago. Not just for his family & friends, obvs; but I could have had such fun forwarding the above to him for his comments! (Just my contribution to the "Get 1,000 pages on this thread" effort!)😉

Well, he's only telling the truth, isn't he? But it's always nice to be appreciated.